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06:08
Transcranial Pulse Stimulation for Alzheimer's Patients
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[Cognitive plasticity in Alzheimer's disease patients receiving cognitive stimulation programs]
Ma Dolores Zamarrón Cassinello1, Luis Tárraga Mestre, Rocío Fernández-Ballesteros
1Facultad de Psicología, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain. loles.zamarron@uam.es
Psicothema
|August 5, 2008
Summary
Cognitive training improved cognitive plasticity in mild Alzheimer's disease patients. Untrained patients showed a decline, highlighting the benefits of cognitive stimulation programs.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Gerontology
- Cognitive Psychology
Context:
- Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder.
- Mild AD patients often experience cognitive decline.
- Cognitive training is explored as an intervention.
Purpose:
- To investigate the effect of a 6-month cognitive training program on cognitive plasticity in patients with mild Alzheimer's disease.
- To compare changes in cognitive plasticity between a trained group and a control group.
Summary:
- Twenty-six patients with mild AD were assessed using the Assessment Battery of Learning Potential in Dementia (BEPAD) before and after a 6-month intervention.
- The intervention group (n=17) received cognitive training, while the control group (n=9) did not.
- Trained patients demonstrated significant improvements in viso-spatial memory, audio-verbal memory, and verbal fluency, indicating enhanced cognitive plasticity.
- The control group exhibited a decrease in cognitive plasticity scores over the same period.
Impact:
- Cognitive stimulation programs can effectively enhance cognitive functioning in individuals with mild Alzheimer's disease.
- Lack of cognitive intervention may lead to further deterioration of cognitive abilities in AD patients.
- Findings support the integration of cognitive training into AD care to preserve and improve cognitive function.
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