Longitudinal cognitive training program in people with mild Alzheimer's disease: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Objective: This study evaluates the efficacy of a two-year cognitive training program in patients with mild Alzheimer's Disease. Methods: Fifty-five patients with mAD were randomly assigned in o two groups, matched at baseline for age, gender, education, cognitive and functional performance. The experimental group (N=32) attended 160 weekly 2-hour sessions of executive function training for a period of two years. The control group (N=23) did not take part in any program of cognitive training. Neuropsychological assessment was performed at baseline and two years later, at the end of the intervention. Results: At the follow up, the experimental group was better than the control group in: verbal learning (p=0.019), delayed recall (p=0.019), prospective memory (p=0.008), planning (p=0.005), time management (p=0.004), step sequence (p=0.000), taking medication (p=0.005), telephone communication (p=0.009), orientation (p=0.009) and general cognitive (p=0.029) and functional performance (p=0.002). The experimental group showed stability of cognitive performance and improvement in verbal fluency (p=0.002), while the control group deteriorated in episodic verbal memory (p=0.004), prospective memory (p=0.001), planning (p=0.003), time management (p=0.005), taking medication (p=0.004), orientation (p=0.005) and general cognitive (p=0.023) and functional performance (p=0.002). Conclusion: Intense and continuous cognitive training has a long-term effect in patients with mAD, concerning the stabilization of the cognitive and functional performance at least for two years.