Abstract

APOSTOLO, João Luís Alves; CARDOSO, Daniela Filipa Batista; MARTA, Lilia Marisa Gonçalves  and  AMARAL, Taciana Inês de Oliveira. The effect of cognitive stimulation in the elderly. Rev. Enf. Ref. [online]. 2011, vol.serIII, n.5, pp.193-201. ISSN 0874-0283.  https://doi.org/10.12707/RIII11104.

Context: evidence suggests that cognitive stimulation (CS) has a positive effect on cognition, depressive symptomatology (DS), and autonomy in elderly people. Objectives: to analyze the effectiveness of cognitive stimulation on cognition, DS, and autonomy in instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) of the senior community. Methodology: experimental study with pre- and post-test, with a sample of 23 elders, 30.43% men and 69.57% women, mean age of 77.66, SD 7.73 years. We used the Portuguese versions of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment, the Geriatric Depression Scale-15 and the Lawton Brody Scale for Instrumental Activities of Daily Living. The experimental group received 14 treatment sessions with CS. Results: elders undergoing CS improved their cognitive state and the intervention explained the variation of 17.86%. Although the evidence is not conclusive about the effect of CS in DS and IADL, 20% and 17%, respectively, more of the elders improved their clinical condition compared to those who were not treated. Conclusions: the cognitive stimulation improved senior´s cognitive condition therefore we recommend its implementation as a component of care for the elderly in a community context. Further studies ought to include larger samples as well as maintenance program and follow-up in order to strengthen and clarify these results.

Keywords : cognition; stimulation; older people; dementia.

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