Dementia Care Research and Psychosocial Factors

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Psychology
• Gerontology

Background:

• Social cognition is crucial for maintaining social connections, which can mitigate dementia risk.
• Current interventions for mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or early dementia often focus on isolated social skills or informal gatherings.
• A gap exists in interventions targeting a broad spectrum of social cognitive skills essential for social connection in MCI and early dementia populations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate a novel, co-designed, online social cognitive skills intervention for individuals with MCI or early-stage dementia.
• To assess the intervention's impact on social cognition, overall cognition, social frailty, loneliness, mental health, and quality of life.

Main Methods:

• A pilot study involving 10 participants (MCI/early dementia) receiving a 5-week online group intervention delivered via videocalls.
• The intervention covered communication skills, non-verbal cues, managing challenges, and real-world social interactions.
• Social cognition (ESCoT) and secondary outcomes (MoCA, social frailty, loneliness, mental health, quality of life) were measured pre-intervention, post-intervention, and at 3-month follow-up.

Main Results:

• Significant improvements in social cognition (ESCoT scores) were observed post-intervention (17%) and at follow-up (21.8%).
• Delayed recall on the MoCA improved substantially (83%) by the 3-month follow-up.
• Participants found the online format accessible, and mental health/loneliness scores indicated a potential floor effect.

Conclusions:

• A novel online group intervention shows promise for enhancing social cognitive skills in individuals with MCI and early dementia.
• The intervention demonstrated feasibility and positive preliminary outcomes in a small pilot group.
• A larger randomized controlled trial is warranted to establish the intervention's efficacy in improving social cognition and related outcomes.