Stéphanie Thivierge1, Léonie Jean2, Martine Simard3. 1. École de psychologie, Université Laval, and Centre de recherche de l'Institut Universitaire en Santé Mentale de Québec, Quebec, Canada. 2. Département de psychiatrie, Centre hospitalier affilié universitaire de Québec- Hôpital de l'Enfant-Jésus, Quebec, Canada. 3. École de psychologie, Université Laval, and Centre de recherche de l'Institut Universitaire en Santé Mentale de Québec, Quebec, Canada. Electronic address: Martine.Simard@psy.ulaval.ca.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: The goal of the study was to investigate the effectiveness of a memory rehabilitation program to re-learn instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs) in patients with Alzheimer disease (AD). DESIGN: This was a 6-month block-randomized cross-over controlled study. SETTING: All evaluation and training sessions were performed at each patient's home. PARTICIPANTS: Twenty participants with mild to moderate AD. INTERVENTION: The trained IADL was chosen by the patient and his/her caregiver in order to target the patient's needs and interests. Participants were trained twice a week for 4 weeks with the errorless learning (ELL) and spaced retrieval (SR) cognitive techniques. After training, there were several follow-ups over a period of at least 3 months. MEASUREMENTS: Performance on the trained IADL was assessed by a Direct Measure of Training (DMT), an observational instrument adapted from a well-validated scale. General cognitive function, everyday memory functioning, quality of life, neuropsychiatric symptoms and ADL/IADL of patients, as well as the caregiver's burden were assessed as secondary outcomes. RESULTS: A statistical significant difference was found between the trained and untrained groups on the DMT immediately following the intervention. Improvements were maintained for a 3-month period. The training did not have effects on any other measures. CONCLUSIONS: The present study showed that it is possible for AD patients to relearn significant IADLs with the ELL and SR techniques and to maintain these gains during at least 3 months. The findings of this study emphasize the importance to design robust but individualized intervention tailored on patients' particular needs.
RCT Entities:
OBJECTIVE: The goal of the study was to investigate the effectiveness of a memory rehabilitation program to re-learn instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs) in patients with Alzheimer disease (AD). DESIGN: This was a 6-month block-randomized cross-over controlled study. SETTING: All evaluation and training sessions were performed at each patient's home. PARTICIPANTS: Twenty participants with mild to moderate AD. INTERVENTION: The trained IADL was chosen by the patient and his/her caregiver in order to target the patient's needs and interests. Participants were trained twice a week for 4 weeks with the errorless learning (ELL) and spaced retrieval (SR) cognitive techniques. After training, there were several follow-ups over a period of at least 3 months. MEASUREMENTS: Performance on the trained IADL was assessed by a Direct Measure of Training (DMT), an observational instrument adapted from a well-validated scale. General cognitive function, everyday memory functioning, quality of life, neuropsychiatric symptoms and ADL/IADL of patients, as well as the caregiver's burden were assessed as secondary outcomes. RESULTS: A statistical significant difference was found between the trained and untrained groups on the DMT immediately following the intervention. Improvements were maintained for a 3-month period. The training did not have effects on any other measures. CONCLUSIONS: The present study showed that it is possible for ADpatients to relearn significant IADLs with the ELL and SR techniques and to maintain these gains during at least 3 months. The findings of this study emphasize the importance to design robust but individualized intervention tailored on patients' particular needs.
Authors: Michael L Alosco; Mary Beth Spitznagel; Lawrence H Sweet; Richard Josephson; Joel Hughes; John Gunstad Journal: Geriatr Gerontol Int Date: 2014-02-18 Impact factor: 2.730
Authors: Ji Won Han; Kyung Lak Son; Hye Jin Byun; Ji Won Ko; Kayoung Kim; Jong Woo Hong; Tae Hyun Kim; Ki Woong Kim Journal: Alzheimers Res Ther Date: 2017-06-06 Impact factor: 6.982
Authors: Linda Clare; Aleksandra Kudlicka; Jan R Oyebode; Roy W Jones; Antony Bayer; Iracema Leroi; Michael Kopelman; Ian A James; Alison Culverwell; Jackie Pool; Andrew Brand; Catherine Henderson; Zoe Hoare; Martin Knapp; Bob Woods Journal: Int J Geriatr Psychiatry Date: 2019-03-01 Impact factor: 3.485