RESUMEN
Background: Dementia is characterized by neurocognitive decline which interferes with daily function and independence. Cognitive stimulation therapy (CST) is an evidence-based cognitive psychosocial intervention for people with dementia. Materials and Methods: A prospective interventional study of single-blind RCT design conducted in the Department of Neurology at ABVIMS and Dr RML Hospital amongst patients with DSM-V major neurocognitive disorder aged more than 50 years. Participants were randomized to CST and control groups using a block-randomized design. The control group participants received treatment as usual while the CST group delivered 45-min virtual group CST sessions for a total of 14 sessions over seven weeks. All participants in both groups were assessed at baseline and eight weeks using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment Scale (MoCA), Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale Cognitive Subscale (ADAS-Cog), neuropsychiatric inventory, instrumental activities of daily living, and Zarit Burden Interview for Caregiver Burden (ZBI) by a rater blind to group randomization. Results: Total MoCA scores improved significantly in the CST group, compared to the control group which showed a statistically significant decrease. The mean total ADAS-Cog score in the CST group improved significantly compared to controls. The Lawton Instrumental Activities of Daily Living Scale showed a statistically significant change in the control group compared to the intervention group. From the comparison of the mean total neuropsychiatric inventory scale, it was observed that there was a statistically significant decrease in the severity of Behavioural and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia (BPSD) symptoms in the CST group. The mean total ZBI score decreased significantly in the CST group favoring less caregiver burden. Conclusion: This study proved that CST has a significant impact on cognitive outcomes in dementia and it also proved its effectiveness in controlling the BPSD outcomes and caregiver burden in dementia.
RESUMEN
Background: Schizophrenia is assumed to be developing into a marked disability affecting performances in educational and vocational fields for both males and females. It is a psychiatric disorder that has been proven to be associated with poor occupational skills and functioning. This research aimed at studying the clinical correlates of socio-occupational functioning skills of persons with schizophrenia as per the ICD-10, DCR criteria. Materials and Methods: The is a cross-sectional descriptive study that included 200 participants diagnosed with schizophrenia, in which sociode mographic and clinical data sheet and Socio-occupational Functioning Scale (SOFS) by Saraswat et al. were used. Results: Mean age of the participants was 34 years, with onset of illness being 24 years of age. The results indicated significant correlation at 0.05 level between the total score of SOFS and age of onset and duration of illness. Conclusion: It can be concluded that for a better treatment outcome in a disorder like schizophrenia, bio-psychosocial model of treatment is necessary.
