Cognitive Stimulating Play Intervention for Dementia: A Feasibility Randomized Controlled Trial

This study investigates the feasibility and the preliminary efficacy of a Cognitive Stimulating Play Intervention on cognitive functions. Thirty older people with early to moderate dementia were recruited from 2 day-care centers, which were randomized into intervention and control groups. The recruitment, attendance, completion rates, and the interview with staff showed that the intervention was feasible. Analysis of covariance results showed that there was a significant difference between groups on memory storage and retrieval functions. The mean memory storage and retrieval functions were 5.92 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.83-9.91; P = .006) and 4.12 (95% CI: 0.75-7.50; P = .018) points higher than that for the control group, respectively, which contributed moderate to large effects (partial eta(2) = 0.189-0.248). There was no significant difference between groups in global cognition measured using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment and verbal fluency. Practical issues that emerged during implementation were discussed.