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  • Effectiveness of multisensory stimulation in managing neuropsychiatric symptoms in older adults with major neurocognitive disorder: a systematic review
    Publication . Silva, Rosa Carla; Abrunheiro, Sérgio; Cardoso, Daniela; Costa, Paulo; Couto, Filipa; Agrenha, Cátia; Apóstolo, João
    Objective: The objective of the review was to synthesize the effectiveness of multisensory stimulation in managing neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS) in older adults with major neurocognitive disorder (NCD). Introduction: Major neurocognitive disorder is characterized by changes in specific cognitive domains with a progressive deterioration in cognitive ability and capacity for independent living. Most older adults with this condition have one or more concomitant symptoms known as NPS. Evidence shows that nonpharmacological therapies have been effective in controlling these symptoms, with multisensory stimulation attracting further investigation. Inclusion criteria: The review considered studies on older adults aged 65 years or over with major NCD. The intervention of interest was multisensory stimulation, and the comparator was usual care (e.g. no occupational therapy, no cognitive training, and no art therapy, but with possible control of activities such as looking at photographs or doing quizzes), or another intervention (e.g. occupational therapy, cognitive training and art therapy). Primary outcomes were NPS (agitation, aggression, motor disturbances, mood liability, anxiety, apathy, night-time behaviour, eating disorders, delusion and hallucination). Secondary outcomes were quality of life, functional status in activities of daily living, cognitive status and caregiver burden. Experimental study designs were considered. Methods: A broad range of keywords and a three-step search strategy were used to identify potentially eligible published and unpublished studies from January 1990 to June 2016 in major healthcare-related online databases. Studies in English, Spanish and Portuguese were included. Two independent reviewers assessed the methodological quality of eight included studies using the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) Critical Appraisal Checklists for Randomized Controlled Trials and Quasi-Experimental Studies. Data were extracted using the standardized data extraction tool from the JBI System for the Unified Management, Assessment and Review of Information (JBI SUMARI) and included details about the interventions, populations, study methods and outcomes of interest. Significant differences were found between participants, interventions, outcome measures (clinical heterogeneity), and designs (methodological heterogeneity). For these reasons, a meta-analysis could not be performed. Therefore, the results have been described in a narrative format. Results: Eight studies (seven randomized controlled trials and one quasi-experimental study) were included, with a total sample of 238 participants (pre-intervention). Four studies confirmed the effectiveness of multisensory stimulation in domains such as physically nonaggressive behavior, verbally agitated behavior and agitation. However, these effects did not always persist in the long-term. Six studies showed poorly consistent results on the effects of multisensory stimulation in improving mood, with only one displaying significant effects. Similarly, despite poor results, two studies showed benefits concerning anxiety. Participants reported significantly decreased levels of anxiety over the course of the intervention, and this improvement persisted in the long-term. In regard to functional status in activities of daily living, two studies reported an improvement in the short-term. Moreover, the effectiveness in cognitive domains such as memory and attention to surroundings also showed inconsistent results across the seven studies that analyzed this outcome. Two studies reflected an improvement during the intervention, but also reported a gradual decline in the long-term. Only one study observed significantly better results during the intervention that persisted until the follow-up assessment. Apathy, night-time behavior, eating disorders, delusion and hallucination were NPS that were not explored in the studies that met the criteria to be included in this review. Conclusions: These findings suggest that multisensory stimulation could be an effective intervention for managing NPS in older adults with major NCD in a mild to severe stage, particularly for managing behavioral symptoms such as agitation. This research provides an indication of the likely effect of the multisensory stimulation on NPS such as agitation and anxiety, as well on cognitive status.
  • Effects of caregiver-provided individual cognitive interventions on cognition, social functioning and quality of life in older adults with major neurocognitive disorders: a systematic review
    Publication . Silva, Rosa; Bobrowicz-Campos, Elzbieta; Cardoso, Daniela; Costa, Paulo; Couto, Filipa; Camarneiro, Ana Paula; Abrunheiro, Sérgio; Almeida, Maria; Apóstolo, João
    Objective: The objective of this review was to investigate the effectiveness of caregiver-provided individual cognitive interventions for improving cognition, social functioning and quality of life in older adults with major neurocognitive disorders. Introduction: A large number of people with major neurocognitive disorders live in their homes, requiring ongoing community care. Different individual cognitive intervention programs have been explored as a potential approach for implementation by caregivers on a one-to-one basis. These programs have the advantage of being implemented in a home setting and in the real-life context of the older adult, in a society that is increasingly aging and where aging in place is being fostered. Inclusion criteria: This review considered experimental studies that included older adults aged 60 years and over with major neurocognitive disorders who were receiving individual cognitive interventions (e.g. cognitive stimulation, cognitive training or cognitive rehabilitation) provided by their caregivers. The comparator was usual care, waitlist control or alternative therapeutic intervention. The primary outcomes of interest included cognition, social functioning and quality of life. Additionally, behavior, mood and activities of daily living were considered. Methods: A comprehensive search strategy was used to identify relevant published and unpublished studies from January 1995 to March 2018, written in English, Spanish and Portuguese. Studies meeting the inclusion criteria were retrieved and their methodological quality was assessed by two independent reviewers using the JBI critical appraisal checklists for randomized controlled trials and quasi-experimental studies. Quantitative data were extracted using the standardized data extraction tool from the JBI System for the Unified Management, Assessment and Review of Information. Due to the clinical and methodological heterogeneity in the included studies, statistical pooling was not possible. Therefore, findings are presented in a narrative format. Results: Eight randomized controlled trials and two quasi-experimental studies were included, with a total sample of 844 dyads (older adults and caregivers). The number of dyads included in the studies ranged from 16 to 356. Beneficial effects of the caregiver-provided individual cognitive interventions were observed in various cognitive domains, including memory, attention, verbalfluency and problem-solving. Two studies additionally reported the positive impact of the intervention of interest on general cognitive functioning. None of the reviewed studies revealed significant changes in quality of life. Social functioning was not analyzed in any of the included studies. Beneficial effects were also reported in relation to behavior and activities of daily living, despite the low level of evidence. Conclusions: This review responds to a gap in current international literature on the synthesis of evidence on the use of caregiver-provided individual cognitive interventions. The intervention of interest is associated with improvement in cognitive performance, revealing some benefits for the stabilization of neuropsychiatric symptoms and an increase in autonomy in activities of daily living. Further research on the impact of sociodemographic and clinical factors on the intervention effects is needed, as these factors seem to interfere with successful intervention implementation. To reinforce current evidence, the methodological quality of future studies should be improved.