scholarly journals Virtual cognitive stimulation therapy: perspectives of people living with dementia

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Lepore ◽  
Stephani Shivers ◽  
Erica DeFrancesco
Keyword(s):  
Group Dynamics ◽  
Group Treatment ◽  
The United States ◽  
Cognitive Stimulation ◽  
Online Delivery ◽  
Cognitive Stimulation Therapy ◽  
Qualitative Feedback ◽  
People With Dementia ◽  
Moderate Dementia ◽  
Current Affairs

Cognitive Stimulation Therapy (CST) is a group treatment in which people with mild to moderate dementia participate in 14 activity and discussion sessions. During the COVID-19 pandemic, CST was adapted for online delivery, as virtual-CST (V-CST). To determine the acceptability of online delivery, we piloted a V-CST group, monitored attendance, and assessed qualitative feedback from the participants. Five people with dementia participated. Except for one session with four attendees, all participants attended every session. Qualitative analysis identified four themes that were verified by participants: (1) positive emotional experiences despite dementia, (2) confidence building and related strategies and challenges, (3) enjoyable and stimulating inclusive activities and group dynamics, and (4) appreciation of discussion about current affairs. This pilot study contributes evidence about the acceptability of V-CST. Although access to CST in the United States is limited, expanded delivery of V-CST could fill service gaps.

scholarly journals The Acceptability and Usefulness of Cognitive Stimulation Therapy for Older Adults with Dementia: A Narrative Review

2016 ◽  
Vol 2016 ◽  
pp. 1-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hui Moon Toh ◽  
Shazli Ezzat Ghazali ◽  
Ponnusamy Subramaniam
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Cultural Context ◽  
Qualitative Studies ◽  
Cognitive Stimulation ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Cognitive Stimulation Therapy ◽  
People With Dementia ◽  
Moderate Dementia ◽  
Evidence Based Therapy

Cognitive stimulation therapy (CST) is an evidence-based therapy for individuals with mild-to-moderate dementia. Past reviews have only synthesized outcomes obtained through quantitative study which does not fully represent the understanding on the acceptability and usefulness of CST. Therefore, the present review aims to integrate outcomes obtained from both quantitative and qualitative studies to provide a deeper understanding on the acceptability and usefulness of CST for older adults with dementia. Findings of literature were retrieved from searches of computerized databases in relation to CST for people with dementia. Literatures were selected according to selection criteria outlined. Results obtained in previous studies pertaining to the effects of CST were discussed in relation to variables such as cognitive function, quality of life, and family caregivers’ wellbeing. The review also explores the use of CST in different cultural context, the perception on its effectiveness, and individualized CST (iCST). There is considerable evidence obtained through quantitative and qualitative studies on the usefulness and acceptability of CST for older adults with dementia. Recommendations for future research are provided to strengthen the evidence of CST’s effectiveness.

Efficacy of a cognitive stimulation therapy programme for people with dementia

2011 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 145-147 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert F Coen ◽  
Bronagh Flynn ◽  
Edel Rigney ◽  
Elaine O'Connor ◽  
Liza Fitzgerald ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rating Scale ◽  
Cognitive Stimulation ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Post Intervention ◽  
Term Care ◽  
Beneficial Effects ◽  
Cognitive Stimulation Therapy ◽  
People With Dementia ◽  
Moderate Dementia ◽  
Behaviour Rating

AbstractObjectives: Cognitive stimulation therapy (CST) has been shown to produce improvements in cognition and quality of life which compare favourably with trials of cholinesterase inhibitors. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy of CST, replicating the methods of Spector et al in the British Journal of Psychiatry in 2003 in a smaller sample using a control group engaged in routine activities.Methods: Eligible participants (mild to moderate dementia; MMSE range 10-23) were randomised to CST group or control conditions. Pre- and post-intervention testing was undertaken by assessors who were blind to condition. Measures included MMSE, CDR (sum of boxes), ADAS-cog, RAID (anxiety), abbreviated GDS (depression), QoL-AD, and the CAPE Behaviour Rating Scale (BRS). Analysis was by non-parametric statistics. Occupational therapists facilitated two sessions per week for seven weeks in two long-term care facilities and the same programme was run by the activity co-ordinator in a nursing home unit.Results: Fourteen CST and 13 control participants completed the study. Between group difference scores analysis showed that the CST group improved compared to controls on MMSE (Mann-Whitney U = 32, p = 0.013) and on the QoL-AD which just fell short of significant (U=51.5, p = 0.055). Qualitatively, therapists noted that CST participants demonstrated good interaction and enthusiasm in the group environment, with continuity and carryover between sessions.Conclusions: Even though the sample sizes are small the current study is consistent with the Spector et al's findings in 2003 of beneficial effects in people with dementia following CST. The programme is recommended as an intervention for people with mild to moderate dementia.

The Efficacy of Cognitive Stimulation Therapy (CST) for People With Mild-to-Moderate Dementia

2019 ◽  
Vol 24 (3) ◽  
pp. 257-277 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alessandra Lobbia ◽  
Elena Carbone ◽  
Silvia Faggian ◽  
Simona Gardini ◽  
Federica Piras ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Health Status ◽  
Cognitive Functioning ◽  
Cognitive Stimulation ◽  
Present Review ◽  
Levels Of Evidence ◽  
Cognitive Stimulation Therapy ◽  
People With Dementia ◽  
Moderate Dementia

Abstract. Cognitive Stimulation Therapy (CST) is an internationally used, evidence-based psychosocial intervention for people with mild-to-moderate dementia. The present review thus aimed specifically to examine the reliability of the findings and the strength of the evidence obtained in studies on the CST protocol concerning any benefit in terms of cognitive functioning, perceived quality of life, psychological, behavioral, and everyday life functioning of people with dementia, and their family caregivers’ health status, quality of life, and burden of care. A systematic literature search on studies specifically adopting the CST protocol in patients with mild-to-moderate DSM-IV dementia – eventually involving their family members – was performed. A total of 238 papers were screened and 12 finally included in the qualitative analysis after inclusion/exclusion criteria were applied. The Jadad Scale and the Stroke Prevention and Educational Awareness Diffusion (SPREAD) method were used to appraise the studies’ methodological quality. Moderate levels of evidence emerged for general cognitive functioning, language comprehension and production, and quality of life. The levels of evidence were weaker for short-term memory, orientation, praxis, depression, social and emotional loneliness, behavior, and communication in people with dementia, and for their caregivers’ health status and anxiety symptoms. Albeit with the limited quality of reviewed evidence, and the need for more studies on CST, the present review highlights the value of this program as part of dementia care services to sustain the cognitive functioning and quality of life of people with dementia.

Service users’ involvement in the development of a maintenance cognitive stimulation therapy (CST) programme: A comparison of the views of people with dementia, staff and family carers

Dementia ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 459-473 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elisa Aguirre ◽  
Aimee Spector ◽  
Amy Streater ◽  
Karen Burnell ◽  
Martin Orrell
Keyword(s):  
Focus Groups ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Cognitive Stimulation ◽  
Family Carers ◽  
User Perceptions ◽  
Cognitive Stimulation Therapy ◽  
People With Dementia ◽  
Moderate Dementia ◽  
Group Programme

This study reports on the process of developing a maintenance programme manual following the Medical Research Council guidelines representing the ‘phase I’ or modelling. This study uses an inductive thematic analysis approach to examine user perceptions on the maintenance cognitive stimulation therapy (CST) programme. Three focus groups were carried out with people with dementia, three with staff, and three with family carers of people with dementia. In total 17 people with dementia, 13 staff and 18 family carers took part in separate focus groups. The main findings from the user focus clearly supports the recent draft NICE guidelines on dementia (NICE‐SCIE, 2006) that states that all people with mild/moderate dementia should be ‘given the opportunity to participate in a structured group of cognitive stimulation programme’. People with dementia highly valued the opportunity to take part in a mental stimulating group programme and found it vital in keeping them healthy and active. Most family carers and staff were very positive but expressed concerns about the effectiveness of this type of programme and gave real life examples where the idea of ‘use it or lose it’ did not apply. Results from the focus groups will be used in order to produce a new version of the maintenance CST draft manual and this will be evaluated in a large randomized controlled trial (RCT).

scholarly journals Cognitive stimulation therapy (CST) for people with dementia in practice: An observational study

2016 ◽  
Vol 79 (12) ◽  
pp. 762-767 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amy Streater ◽  
Aimee Spector ◽  
Elisa Aguirre ◽  
Martin Orrell
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Observational Study ◽  
Psychosocial Interventions ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
Routine Care ◽  
Cognitive Stimulation ◽  
Cognitive Stimulation Therapy ◽  
People With Dementia ◽  
Moderate Dementia

Introduction The delivery of cognitive stimulation as a cognitive based psychosocial intervention for people with mild to moderate dementia is supported in the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines. There is a strong evidence base for its effectiveness in providing improvements in cognition and quality of life for people with dementia. However, less is known about its delivery and its impact using outcome measures when used in practice. Methods A 1-year observational study was conducted, which measured the cognition and quality of life of 89 people with dementia living in care homes and the community and were in receipt of cognitive stimulation therapy and a maintenance programme as part of their usual care in practice. Results A paired sample T-test demonstrated a significant improvement in cognition. Quality of life remained unchanged for people with mild to moderate dementia. Conclusions This study reports promising findings with demonstrated benefits for people with dementia and strengthens the evidence base supporting its use in routine care. However, attention should be given to the level of cognitive impairment of attendees. This research is relevant to the field of occupational therapy as the profession has knowledge of using psychosocial interventions and a commitment to evidence-based practice.

scholarly journals An evaluation of Cognitive Stimulation Therapy sessions for people with dementia and a concomitant support group for their carers

Dementia ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 16 (8) ◽  
pp. 985-1003 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan Bailey ◽  
Paul Kingston ◽  
Simon Alford ◽  
Louise Taylor ◽  
Edward Tolhurst
Keyword(s):  
Support Groups ◽  
Support Group ◽  
Qualitative Data ◽  
Cognitive Stimulation ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Post Intervention ◽  
Cognitive Stimulation Therapy ◽  
People With Dementia ◽  
Quasi Experimental ◽  
The Impact

This research aimed to ascertain the impact of a pragmatic Cognitive Stimulation Therapy course of 10 sessions on the cognitive function of people living with dementia and whether attending a concomitant carers support group was beneficial to carers. A mixed method quasi-experimental approach was adopted; data were collected pre- and post-intervention. The quantitative arm utilised three validated questionnaires rated by the carers. Qualitative data were collected via semi-structured interviews with carers regarding their perceptions of the impact of Cognitive Stimulation Therapy and the carers support group. Quantitative data analysis found no statistically significant differences within or between groups. The qualitative data demonstrated that carers perceived Cognitive Stimulation Therapy had some benefits for the people living with dementia, especially social benefits. Carers also perceived that attending the carers support group was beneficial for them in terms of gaining a better understanding of dementia, developing coping skills and having peer support. The study was limited in scale and further research with a larger sample, using direct measures of the impact of Cognitive Stimulation Therapy with people living with dementia and supplementary research exploring which characteristic of carers support groups are effective would be worthwhile.

scholarly journals Cognitive stimulation therapy in dementia care: exploring the views and experiences of service providers on the barriers and facilitators to implementation in practice using Normalization Process Theory

2017 ◽  
Vol 29 (11) ◽  
pp. 1869-1878 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claire Dickinson ◽  
Grant Gibson ◽  
Zoe Gotts ◽  
Lynne Stobbart ◽  
Louise Robinson
Keyword(s):  
Psychosocial Intervention ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Dementia Care ◽  
Normalization Process Theory ◽  
Cognitive Stimulation ◽  
Process Theory ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Cognitive Stimulation Therapy ◽  
People With Dementia ◽  
Normalization Process

ABSTRACTBackground:Cognitive stimulation therapy (CST) is an evidence-based, cost-effective psychosocial intervention for people with dementia but is currently not a standard part of post-diagnostic care. This qualitative study explored the views and experiences of dementia care providers on the barriers and facilitators to its implementation in usual care.Method:Thirty four semi-structured interviews (24 participants) were conducted across four dementia care sites in the North of England; ten were follow-up interviews. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis and then mapped to the Normalization Process Theory framework.Results:Participants considered CST a “good fit” with their “preferred” ways of working and goals of dementia care namely the provision of person-centered services. For facilitators delivering the intervention, compared to other behavioral interventions, CST was seen to offer benefits to their work and was easy to understand as an intervention. Training in CST and seeing benefits for clients were important motivators. Time and resources were crucial for the successful implementation of CST. Participants were keen to objectively measure benefits to participants but unsure how to do this.Conclusions:CST is a cost-effective psychosocial intervention for people with dementia, recommended by national guidance. Despite our findings which show that, using the NPT framework, there are more facilitators than barriers to the implementation of CST, it is still not a standard part of post-diagnostic dementia care. Further research is needed to explore the reasons for this implementation gap in ensuring evidence-based care in translated into practice.

scholarly journals An evaluation of community-based cognitive stimulation therapy: a pilot study with an Irish population of people with dementia

2016 ◽  
Vol 34 (3) ◽  
pp. 157-167 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. E. Kelly ◽  
S. Finan ◽  
M. Lawless ◽  
N. Scully ◽  
J. Fitzpatrick ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Cognitive Function ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Cognitive Stimulation ◽  
Post Intervention ◽  
Community Based ◽  
People With Dementia ◽  
Moderate Dementia ◽  
Subjective Cognitive Function

ObjectivesResearch shows that cognitive stimulation therapy (CST) improves cognitive function, quality of life, and well-being of people with mild–moderate dementia. Despite consistent evidence and recommendations, CST is not routinely available in Ireland post-diagnosis. The aim of the current research was to develop and evaluate community-based CST for people with mild–moderate dementia, run by the Alzheimer Society of Ireland across four pilot sites in Ireland.MethodsParticipants with mild–moderate dementia attended once weekly CST sessions for 14 weeks. Baseline and post-intervention assessments were completed by CST participants, carers, and CST facilitators. Primary outcomes of interest for CST participants included quality of life (Quality of Life in Alzheimer Disease Scale), cognitive function (Montreal Cognitive Assessment), and subjective cognitive function (Memory Awareness Rating Scale-Functioning Subscale). Secondary outcomes included well-being, cognitive ability, satisfaction with cognitive performance, and engagement and confidence of CST participants; well-being of carers; and job satisfaction of facilitators. Post-intervention interviews supplemented quantitative analyses.ResultsIn total, 20 CST participants, 17 carers, and six CST facilitators completed evaluation assessments. Results showed that CST improved participants’ satisfaction with cognitive performance (p=0.002), level of engagement (p=0.046), level of confidence (p=0.026). Improvements on subjective cognitive function just fell short of significance (p=0.055). Qualitative analysis of interview data identified consistent themes of cognitive and overall benefits of CST; and provided support for quantitative data.ConclusionsCommunity-based CST positively impacted the lives of people with dementia and their families. This study supports prior recommendations that CST should be made routinely available to people with mild–moderate dementia, particularly in light of the lack of post-diagnostic interventions currently offered in Ireland.

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