A Randomized Controlled Trial of Brain-Activating Rehabilitation for Elderly Participants with Dementia in Residential Care Homes

Abstract

Background/Aims: We aimed to prove the effectiveness of brain-activating rehabilitation for dementia, which consisted of 5 principles: pleasant atmosphere, communication, praising, social role, and supportive care. Methods: The design was a randomized controlled trial that was not blinded. Fifty-four elderly participants with dementia (mean age: 85.2 years) were selected. Intervention based on the 5 principles of brain-activating rehabilitation was conducted for 1 h, twice a week, for 12 weeks (24 sessions). The control group had no treatment. Outcome measures consisted of two observation scales, namely sum of boxes in clinical dementia rating (CDR-SB) and the multidimensional observation scale for elderly subjects (MOSES), and two cognitive tests: the Hasegawa dementia scale revised (HDS-R) and trail making test A. Results: Repeated measure ANCOVA showed a significant interaction for total score of CDR-SB (F = 7.190, p = 0.015) and MOSES (F = 4.525, p = 0.038). There were no significant changes in the two cognitive test scores. Conclusion: Intervention based on the principles of brain-activating rehabilitation was effective in maintaining and improving daily life functions in elderly participants with dementia in residential care homes.

Keywords

• Alzheimer’s disease
• Brain activity
• Dementia care
• Non-pharmacological therapies
• Randomized clinical trials
• Rehabilitation
• Reminiscence therapy