Authors (including presenting author) :
Ho ATW (1) & Poon DWF (1)
Affiliation :
(1) Occupational Therapy Department, PWH
Keyword 1: :
Paper-based cognitive training
Introduction :
Cognitive decline is a primary clinical deficit in dementia. It is a significant risk factor contributing to the development of functional disabilities. Considering some elderly patients have difficulty using electronic devices if no special guidance arranged, a set of paper based cognitive training was established in Occupational Therapy Department in Prince of Wales Hospital, with aim to directly stimulate plasticity of patients through a broader range of cognitive challenges. The training frequency was proposed to last for 20 minutes daily for 2 months with consideration of treatment effectiveness and tolerance of the elderly. Though accumulating evidence reports positive effect of cognitive training in patients with early stage of dementia, the effect was inconsistent across studies.
Objectives :
This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of paper-based cognitive training with specific training regime to reduce cognitive decline in patients with early stage of dementia.
Methodology :
This is a quasi-experimental study. 26 patients who were 65 years old or above, able to understand spoken and written Chinese, being rated 0.5-1 in Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) and refusing or having no support for computerized cognitive training were recruited. Those with severe depression revealed by Cornell Scale for Depression in Dementia, severe visual or hearing impairment which affects communication and understanding of the training materials as well as having change of medication 3 months before recruitment and during training were excluded. Written consent and sociodemographic data were obtained. Cognitive assessments namely Hong Kong version of Montreal Cognitive Assessment (HK-MoCA) and Chinese version of the Mattis Dementia Rating Scale (MDRS) were conducted at baseline. Paper-based training was given as home program for 8 weeks. The cognitive assessments were repeated within two weeks after completion of training program.
Result & Outcome :
A total of 26 subjects were recruited. The mean age was 73 years old. 61.5% was female. The mean educational year was 8.2 years. Mean of total CDR was 0.77. MDRS total score significantly improved (p = 0.039, t = -1.83) while HK-MoCA total score improved but not up to significant level (p = 0.079, t = -2.2) after training. The results suggested the established paper based cognitive training with specific training regime may improve cognitive function in patients with early stage of dementia. Further robust study is recommended to confirm the effectiveness in future.
