Effects of reminiscence therapy on cognitive function in older adults with cognitive impairment: a systematic review...

To evaluate the effectiveness of reminiscence therapy in enhancing cognitive function among older adults with cognitive impairment and to identify optimal intervention strategies in terms of format, session duration, frequency, and intervention period.

A systematic search of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on reminiscence therapy for cognitively impaired older adults was conducted across PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Embase, CNKI, CBM, VIP, and Wanfang databases from inception to October 2024. Two reviewers independently assessed the methodological quality of included studies using Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool (ROB 2.0). Data were extracted using standardized forms and analyzed with Review Manager version 5.4 and Stata version 18.0.

A total of 18 studies were included, of which 14 studies (19 trials) provided complete data for meta-analysis. Study settings included hospitals, nursing facilities, and community centers, with all interventions based on simple recall reminiscence. Meta-analysis showed a significant effect of reminiscence therapy on cognitive function in older adults with cognitive impairment (SMD=1.15, 95%CI: 0.78-1.52, P<0.001). Subgroup analyses revealed greater effectiveness in participants from Asia (SMD=1.50, 95%CI: 0.98-2.01, P<0.001) and those with mild cognitive impairment (MCI)(SMD=1.56, 95%CI: 0.78-2.34, P<0.001). The optimal delivery strategies involved group sessions with more than six participants (SMD=1.63, 95%CI: 0.48-2.78, P=0.005), conducted weekly (SMD=1.37, 95%CI: 0.83-1.91, P<0.001) for 30-45 minutes per session (SMD=1.29, 95%CI: 0.59-1.99, P<0.001), over a 12-week period (SMD=1.60, 95%CI: 0.83-2.38, P<0.001).

Reminiscence therapy effectively improves cognitive function in older adults with cognitive impairment, especially those with MCI. It is recommended as an early non-pharmacological intervention delivered through weekly group sessions of 30-45 minutes, with six or more participants over at least 12 weeks. Future research should involve high-quality studies with extended follow-up periods to fully validate the sustained effectiveness of reminiscence therapy.