Cognitive Stimulation Therapy for Older Adults With Mild-to-Moderate Dementia in Italy: Effects on Cognitive Functioning, and on Emotional and Neuropsychiatric Symptoms[Cognitive stimulation therapy (CST) for people with dementia—Who benefits most?]

ObjectivesCognitive Stimulation Therapy (CST) is one of the most popular evidence-based interventions for people with dementia. The aim of the present study was to assess the effectiveness in the short- and long-term (on completing the treatment and 3 months later) of an Italian adaptation of the CST protocol (CST-IT).MethodOlder adults with mild-to-moderate dementia at 16 residential care homes were randomly assigned to a CST-IT group (N = 123) or an active control group (N = 102). The following domains were examined for potential benefits: general cognitive functioning (Mini-Mental State Examination [MMSE] and the Alzheimer’s Disease Assessment Scale—Cognitive subscale [ADAS-Cog]), language (Narrative Language Test), mood and behavior (Cornell scale and Neuropsychiatric Inventory), everyday life functioning (Disability Assessment for Dementia), and quality of life (Quality of Life—Alzheimer’s Disease scale).ResultsAt both the short- and long-term assessments, the CST-IT group’s MMSE scores remained stable, while the control group’s scores decreased slightly from pretest to posttest and at follow-up. The CST-IT group also had short-term benefits in other cognitive measures (ADAS-Cog and Narrative Language Test) and mood and behavior measures, which were generally maintained at follow-up. No other differences were observed.DiscussionThe effectiveness of CST in sustaining cognitive and emotional functioning, and counteracting the progression of behavioral/neuropsychiatric symptoms in people with dementia was confirmed, and a long-term benefit was demonstrated. CST is a promising option for the treatment of people with dementia in clinical practice.