The effect of cognitive stimulation on the cognitive status of older adults in a community context

Abstract

Aim: to evaluate the effect of cognitive stimulation on cognition in community-dwelling older adults in the central region of Portugal. This quasi-experimental pre- and post-test study without a control group was conducted with 33 older adults with a mean age of 74.45 years. The Montreal Cognitive Assessment and the Mini Mental State Examination were used as assessment instruments. In 2012, participants underwent 14 cognitive stimulation sessions lasting 45 minutes each, twice weekly for seven weeks. The intervention effect was not statistically significant, although 48.49% of the older adults showed positive evolution. These results may be considered clinically relevant, since most participants did not present cognitive impairment at baseline. The implementation of cognitive stimulation as a component of elderly care is recommended, as well as further randomized controlled studies with larger samples, maintenance programs and follow-up.