Adherence to non-pharmacological interventions in patients with mild cognitive impairment: A scoping review

Non-pharmacological interventions (NPIs) can effectively improve the cognitive function of patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), while the adherence of patients with MCI affects the effectiveness of NPIs. Understanding the adherence of patients with MCI to NPIs can help improve the effectiveness of NPIs. This scoping review aimed to explore both the number and scope of reporting adherence to NPIs in published studies of patients with MCI. Six databases, including Web of Science, PubMed, The Cochrane Library, CINHAL, Scopus, and Embase, were searched for articles related to adherence to NPIs in patients with MCI (search date, 1 February 2026). Studies were screened independently, and relevant information was extracted. Fifty-eight studies were finally included. Of these, adherence was most commonly defined based on the percentage of attended/completed intervention sessions compared to those prescribed. The measurement of adherence was usually performed by recording attendance or the time of day they completed training. Furthermore, the factors that may influence adherence were most frequently analyzed in the studies. In studies of NPIs in patients with MCI, reports of adherence were limited in both number and scope.