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This study identified evidence and considerations for allied health clinicians in providing group interventions for people with cognitive impairment. A scoping review was conducted by searching the MEDLINE (Ovid), CINHAL (EBSCOhost), Scopus (Elsevier), Embase (Ovid) and TROVE databases from 2016. Articles of any study design in which group interventions were performed by an allied health professional with participants with cognitive impairment were included. Data on physical, cognitive, psychological, and quality of life measures were extracted from the selected articles. Standardised mean changes (SMC) were calculated. Ten articles were included in the study. No article directly compared group interventions versus one‐to‐one interventions. The results of the meta‐analysis showed significant improvements after the intervention in the physical (SMC = 0.42, P = 0.013), cognitive (SMC = 0.43, P = 0.005), psychological (SMC = 0.14, P = 0.005), and quality of life domains (SMC = 0.28, P = 0.002). This review identified considerations for clinicians when developing group interventions for people with cognitive impairments, including specific participant criteria, increasing support, modifications to intervention difficulty, and environmental considerations. Group intervention for people with cognitive impairments demonstrated moderate effectiveness in improving physical and cognitive domains and a small effect in improving psychological and quality of life domains. Specific considerations are recommended when clinicians provide group interventions for people with cognitive impairments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The purpose of this study was to investigate the longitudinal relationship between different levels of cognitively stimulating leisure activity (CSLA) participation and different levels of positive and negative affect among older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Methods: Using a repeated‐measured multivariate analysis of covariance (RM‐MANCOVA), this study analyzed the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) data from 2012 to 2020 (N = 5932). Results: The results presented the following. (a) The high CSLA group showed higher positive affect and lower negative affect than the mid and low groups. Also, the mid‐CSLA group presented higher positive affect and lower negative affect than the low CSLA group. (b) Both positive and negative affect showed significant differences between years and indicated a continuously declining slope year by year without exceptions. (c) The high CSLA group not only presented higher positive affect and lower negative affect during the period but also solely showed a rebounding feature in the declining slope on both emotions. Conclusions: The findings of this study provide valuable support for the design and implementation of CSLA participation programs and clinical guidelines for older adults with MCI. The results highlight the importance of determining the optimal level of CSLA engagement that is required to promote emotional health and cognitive function in this population. Healthcare professionals and clinical practitioners can leverage the insights gained from this study to develop and deliver effective CSLA interventions tailored to the specific needs and capacities of older adults with MCI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Backgrounds: Cognitive frailty, a clinical syndrome with physical frailty and cognitive impairment, leads to mortality and other adverse health outcomes in older adults. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of cognitive frailty, and its influencing factors, and follow its impact on short‐term mortality in elderly chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients, to provide a theoretical scientific reference basis for clinical intervention and management of cognitive frailty. Methods: A sample of 243 elderly chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients in the respiratory department of a tertiary care hospital was conveniently sampled from November 2021 to February 2023, and the prevalence of cognitive frailty was investigated using the General Information Survey Scale, the Fried Phenotype Scale, the Mini‐Mental State Examination, the Anxiety Self‐Rating Scale, the Brief Geriatric Depression Scale, and the Mortality Record. The mortality was recorded by telephone follow‐up after 6 months. A database was created and statistical analysis such as one‐way analysis of variance, logistic regression analysis, Kaplan–Meier, and Cox survival analysis were used to analyze the data. Results: A total of 47 patients (19.3%) had cognitive frailty; there were statistical differences in the prevalence of cognitive frailty by medical payment type, physical exercise, and sleeping time (P < 0.05). During a 6‐month follow‐up, 38 patients (15.6%) died. Cox survival analysis showed that the risk of death in elderly chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients in the cognitive frailty group was 3.212 times higher than that in the normal cognitive function and non‐frailty group (95% CI 1.646–6.270, P = 0.001), and 5.266 times higher than that in the normal cognitive function and frailty group (95% CI 3.159–8.778, P < 0.001). Conclusions: The prevalence of cognitive frailty in elderly chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients is high, and clinical staff should pay attention to patients' medical burden and financial ability, and reduce the incidence of cognitive frailty by instructing patients to perform physical exercise and arrange sleep time. Cognitive frailty is an important risk factor for mortality within 6 months in elderly chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients, and early intervention should be emphasised to reduce or delay cognitive frailty and mortality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Food art therapy (FAT) has multiple modalities in which cognition, emotion, and social changes are stimulated. The purpose of this study was to design a multimodal approach to a food art therapy (MM‐FAT) program and identify its effects on cognitive ability, daily living functioning, depression, self‐esteem, self‐efficacy, self‐expression, and social functioning in individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and mild dementia by employing a mixed methods research design. Methods: The participants included 39 patients from a public dementia care centre in Seoul, Korea. The intervention group, which comprised 20 participants, received 12 MM‐FAT sessions 3 times a week for 4 weeks, and the control group, which included 19 participants, received usual care. The MM‐FAT program was evaluated based on its effectiveness on cognitive, daily living, emotional, and social functioning outcome measures at three time points using repeated measures analysis of variance. Semi‐structured interviews (n = 9) were conducted to evaluate the overall experience of the MM‐FAT program and its outcomes. Results: The findings reveal that MM‐FAT has a positive effect on the cognitive, emotional, and social functioning of individuals with MCI and mild dementia. However, there were no enhancements in individuals' daily living functioning, and the lasting effects of the intervention could not be assessed. Cognition and depression increased significantly at the end of the MM‐FAT program. Self‐expression and self‐efficacy were significantly higher in the MM‐FAT group than in the control group. The semi‐structured interviews revealed improvements in participants' behaviour, communication, and interaction. Conclusion: This mixed methods study focused on individuals with MCI or mild dementia contributes to an understanding of the effectiveness of a FAT program employing a multimodal approach. Despite the COVID‐19 pandemic, the study was able to enrich the effects of MM‐FAT on cognitive, emotional, and social functioning through qualitative findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In late life, traumas may act cumulatively to exacerbate vulnerability to post‐traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). PTSD is also a risk factor for cognitive decline. Major neurocognitive disorder (MND) can be associated with worsening of already controlled PTSD symptoms, late‐life resurgence or de novo emergence. Misidentifying PTSD symptoms in MND can have negative consequences for the patient and families. We review the literature pertaining to PTSD and dementia and describe five cases referred for consultation in geriatric psychiatry initially for behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD), which were eventually diagnosed and treated as PTSD in MND subjects. We propose that certain PTSD symptoms in patients with MND are misinterpreted as BPSD and therefore, not properly addressed. For example, flashbacks could be interpreted as hallucinations, hypervigilance as paranoia, nightmares as sleep disturbances, and hyperreactivity as agitation/aggression. We suggest that better identification of PTSD symptoms in MND is needed. We propose specific recommendations for care, namely: clarifying diagnosis by distinguishing PTSD symptoms coexisting with different types of dementia from a specific dementia symptom (BPSD), gathering a detailed history of the trauma in order to personalise non‐pharmacological interventions, adapting psychotherapeutic strategies to patients with dementia, using selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors as first‐line treatment and avoiding antipsychotics and benzodiazepines. Proper identification of PTSD symptoms in patients with MND is essential and allows a more tailored and efficient treatment, with decrease in inappropriate use of physical and chemical restraints. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The quality of life (QOL) of the elderly can be influenced by numerous factors. We assessed QOL, cognitive functions, depression and clinical data in elderly aged 65 and over with the aim of analysing factors affecting their QOL. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with elderly over the age of 65, and their QOL, cognitive functions and depressive symptoms were assessed by validated clinical tests and screening tools. Results: The correlation between QOL scales and cognitive tests was not significant. In contrast, the results of depression scales showed significant negative correlation with the scores of the QOL scales. A better QOL was determined by lower age, lack of depressive symptoms, and higher scores in the QOL-AD (Alzheimer's disease) scale. Depressive mood has much more negative impact on the QOL of the elderly than cognitive impairment. Conclusions: Our results demonstrated a close correlation between QOL and depressive mood in the elderly. The early detection and effective management of affective and cognitive symptoms in the elderly can not only restore mental health but may also improve their QOL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article describes the case of epileptic cognitive impairment resembling Alzheimer's disease (ECI-A) in a Japanese man in his early 70s. Topics discussed include the role of focal impaired awareness seizure (FIAS) in the bruxism demonstrated by the patient, reason behind the importance of considering the condition as cognitive impairment instead of as a memory impairment, and difference between the symptoms of ECI-A and transient epileptic amnesia (TEA).

The article presents a case report of a 69-year-old woman about the effectiveness of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) for psychiatric symptoms and cognitive fluctuations similar to dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB). Topics include three core clinical features that supported the diagnosis of probable DLB, the use of test battery to evaluate the patient's neuropsychiatric symptoms, and an improvement in her hallucinations, depression, and activities of daily living through ECT.

Background In France, the Alzheimer Plan 2008-2012 has enabled the development of units specialized in managing the behavioural and psychological disorders found in cognitive pathologies, with an emphasis on both pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments. The aim of this study was to analyze the evolution of behavioural symptoms, autonomy, and psychotropic drug prescriptions at a cognitive and behavioural unit in Toulouse, France. Methods Prospective study, with systematic analyze of data for patients hospitalized in a cognitive and behavioral unit. Results This 2-year study included 199 patients. Behavioural symptoms were significantly improved during the follow-up period and remained so after discharge. Autonomy, especially in walking, was not altered. The prescription of psychotropic drugs, such as neuroleptics, was significantly lower at discharge. Conclusion This study showed the effectiveness of overall care, with an emphasis on pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments, in managing disruptive behavioural symptoms in a specialized unit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses a study on the efficacy of animal-assisted therapy adapted to reality orientation therapy. Highlights include how the dog-mediated interactions may impact the daily variation in cortisol levels, the principles of research described in the Helsinki Declaration, and the use of a General Linear Logistic Model with Mixed Effects for modelling therapy effect on cortisol levels.

The article discusses a study that examines long-term effects of rice-farming care on cognitive function and mental health of elderly people with cognitive impairment. Highlights include rice-farming care performed once a week between April and October 2016, physical activities that are essential to rice farming and group work for problem-solving, and the use of the Mini-Mental State Examination to assess cognitive function.

The article focuses on the use of Tai chi (TC) aerobic exercise for the treatment and rehabilitation of mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Topics discussed include use of randomized controlled trials for examining the effects of TC on MCI; a table depicting the study and participant characteristics of the same; and measurement of cognitive function performance using Clinical Dementia Rating.