Cognitive training combined with nursing care versus routine daily care in improving cognitive function and...

Dementia is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that severely impairs cognition and daily function among older adults. Non-pharmacological interventions, particularly cognitive training integrated with individualized nursing care, have been proposed to enhance cognitive and emotional outcomes. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of cognitive training combined with nursing care compared with routine daily care in elderly patients with dementia. A retrospective observational study was conducted among 126 dementia patients treated between November 2023 and December 2024. Patients were divided into a control group (routine care) and an intervention group (cognitive training + nursing care). Each session lasted 40 minutes, 3 times weekly for 8 weeks. Cognitive, emotional, and functional outcomes were assessed using the mini-mental state examination (MMSE), Montreal cognitive assessment, Hamilton anxiety scale and depression Scales, Barthel index of activities of daily living, and general quality of life inventory-74. Propensity-score matching and receiver operating characteristic analysis were applied. After 8 weeks, the intervention group showed significantly greater improvement in MMSE (+5.4 vs +2.6) and Montreal cognitive assessment (+5.0 vs +2.4) scores than the control group (both P < .001). Hamilton anxiety scale and depression scores decreased more markedly in the intervention group (-6.7 and -5.5 points, P < .001). Barthel index of activities of daily living and general quality of life inventory-74 scores also increased significantly (both P < .001). Correlation analysis revealed significant negative associations between cognitive and emotional improvements (r = -0.67 to -0.46, P < .001). Receiver operating characteristic analysis showed that ΔMMSE had a strong predictive value for emotional recovery (area under the curve = 0.93, 95% confidence interval: 0.88-0.98), with 90.4% sensitivity and 87.5% specificity. Cognitive training combined with nursing intervention significantly improved cognition, emotion, and daily function in elderly patients with dementia. Cognitive improvement strongly predicted emotional recovery, underscoring the value of integrated, person-centered dementia care models in clinical practice.