Cognitive Stimulation Therapy (CST): effects on different areas of cognitive function for people with dementia

There is good evidence indicating that group Cognitive Stimulation Therapy (CST) leads to generalised cognitive benefits for people with dementia. However, little is known about whether some aspects of cognition might change more than others and why.

Cognitive Stimulation Therapy, a 14-session group treatment, has been evaluated in a multi-centre, single-blind, randomised controlled trial. This study looks at the subscales of the ADAS-Cog (memory and new learning, praxis and language) and compares the outcome of CST with a treatment as usual control group.

There was a significant difference between treatment and control groups in total ADAS-Cog score (p = 0.01) and in the language subscale (p = 0.01). There were no significant changes in memory and orientation or praxis.

CST appears to have particular effects in promoting language function, which is likely to lead to generalised benefits. This may be through generating opinions and creating new semantic links through categorisation. Future research might use more sensitive psychometric tests to assess these effects in more depth.