Effects of Cognitive Rehabilitation on Cognition, Apathy, Quality of Life, and Subjective Complaints in the Elderly: A Randomized Controlled Trial

• Published in: The American journal of geriatric psychiatry 2020-05, Vol.28 (5), p.518-529
• Main Authors: Montoya-Murillo, Genoveva, Ibarretxe-Bilbao, Naroa, Peña, Javier, Ojeda, Natalia
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Aging - psychology; Apathy; Caregivers - psychology; Clinical trials; Cognition; Cognitive ability; Cognitive Dysfunction - psychology; Cognitive Dysfunction - rehabilitation; Cognitive rehabilitation; elderly; Female; Humans; Linear Models; Male; Middle Aged; Neuropsychological Tests; Occupational Therapy - methods; Older people; Quality of life; Quality of Life - psychology; randomized controlled trial; Rehabilitation; Rehacop; Spain; subjective complaints; Surveys and Questionnaires; Treatment Outcome
• ISSN: 1064-7481; 1545-7214
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jagp.2019.10.011

•The efficacy of a cognitive rehabilitation program on neurocognition, clinical variables, quality of life, and subjective complaints in the elderly.•Significant improvements in neurocognition and quality of life, and reduction of apathy, and participants’ subjective complaints were shown after the intervention.•These findings evidence training and transfer effects of rehabilitation, which could lead to health benefits. To determine the efficacy of a new-generation integrative cognitive rehabilitation (CR) program (Rehacop) on cognition, clinical symptoms, quality of life (QoL), and subjective complaints in the elderly. A randomized controlled trial study with a cohort of elderly people over 55 years of age. Communities of the Basque Country (Spain). A total of 124 elderly participants (aged 79.00 ± 8.85 years) were randomized in the Rehacop group (RG) (n = 62) and control group (CG) (n = 62). The RG attended 39 CR sessions for 3 months (3 sessions/week, 60-minute/session) with the Rehacop program. The CG performed occupational tasks with the same frequency and duration as the RG. Participants underwent a neuropsychological assessment at baseline and post-treatment which included cognitive, clinical, and functional tests. In addition, participants and their formal caregivers completed a subjective complaints questionnaire. The data were analyzed according to the intention to treat analysis and with participants who completed the study. This study was registered at clinicaltrials.gov (NCT03435029). The RG showed significant improvements compared to the CG in neurocognition (ANCOVA timexgroup interaction effect size (ηp2)=0.05, 90% confidence interval (CI) = 0.00–0.12). The RG also reduced apathy (ηp2=0.06, 90% CI = 0.01–0.15) and participants’ subjective complaints (ηp2=0.11, 90% CI = 0.03–0.21) and improved QoL (ηp2=0.08, 90% CI = 0.01–0.17). Participants who attended the intervention improved their cognition, QoL, and reduced apathy and subjective complaints after treatment. These findings provide a new understanding of the benefits of CR in the elderly.