A study in the International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry reports that the efficacy of cognitive stimulation therapy (CST) has been demonstrated, but little is known about the characteristics of people with dementia, who may respond to this therapy. This study sought to investigate which factors may predict a more positive response to CST.
Subjects diagnosed with dementia (n-272) took part in a 7-week CST intervention. Assessments were carried out pre-treatment and post-treatment. The results were compared with those of a previous comparable CST randomized control trial. A comparison of mean scores pre-CST and post-CST groups was undertaken, and contributing factors that predicted change in outcomes were examined.
Results demonstrated
- CST improved cognition and quality of life, and the results showed that the benefits of CST were independent of whether people were taking acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (AChEI) or not.
- Increasing age was associated with cognitive benefits, as was female gender.
- Care home residents improved more than community residents on quality of life, but the community sample seemed to benefit more in relation to behavior problems.
