ABSTRACT

Objective : The aim of the study was to investigate the application of nonpharmacological cognitive interventions in patients with dementia. Methods : We searched published studies in KISS, PubMed, and Sciencedirect databases from January 2013 to December 2017. The main keywords used were “Dementia” AND “Cognitive stimulation OR Cognitive rehabilitation OR Cognitive training” and a total of ten studies were selected for analysis from 753 searched articles. Results : Seven of the ten selected studies showed significant improvements in cognitive function after intervention, whereas three studies showed no improvement in cognitive function; however, activation of brain waves, improvement in the relationship between care givers and patients, improvement in the quality of life of care givers, and improvements in visual motor skills were shown. Mini-Mental State Examination(MMSE) was used as the assessment tool for identifying the effects of the cognitive function improvement, and in four studies the quality of life of dementia patients was measured as an intervention effect. The main subject of the cognitive intervention is patients with mild to moderate dementia. Conclusion : The results of this study can be used as a basis for the selection of intervention methods, as well as their duration and assessment, according to the characteristics of dementia patients.