Disseminating action-based cognitive remediation to an early psychosis network: Clinician perspectives on feasibility and implementation barriers.

AIM: Action-based cognitive remediation (ABCR) is a group cognitive remediation treatment that aims to improve neurocognitive impairments experienced in patients with severe mental illness. Developed in research settings, ABCR is not yet widely available in community settings. As such, this study examines the feasibility of implementing ABCR in community clinics in an early psychosis network. METHODS: Eighty-five allied health professionals who work within an early psychosis intervention network were trained in the provision of ABCR. They were surveyed 6-months after training to gather information regarding their experience implementing ABCR within their clinical settings (e.g., barriers, perceived helpfulness of the treatment, modifications made to the manualized treatment). Access to ongoing training supports (e.g., treatment manual, asynchronous digital communication, conference calls) was also assessed. RESULTS: Fifty-one clinicians responded to the survey. Staff time, manager support, and equipment were rated as organizational barriers. Geographic location, other responsibilities, and motivation were rated as patient barriers. Over half of the sample modified the overall dose of ABCR to offer fewer sessions and/or shorter duration of sessions than the manualized approach. Clinicians that reduced the dose of ABCR reported significantly higher barriers with manager support than staff who delivered ABCR as manualized but did not report worse patient outcomes. We found asynchronous learning opportunities (i.e., manual, online discussion forum) were perceived as the most accessible and helpful methods of ongoing training support. CONCLUSIONS: The results provide preliminary information about barriers to implementing time-intensive cognitive treatments into clinical settings and may inform future training practices to increase successful implementation of cognitive remediation treatments.

Moderators of functional improvement after integrative cognitive remediation in schizophrenia: Toward a personalized treatment approach.

Cognitive remediation is an effective intervention for improving functional outcome in schizophrenia. However, the factors that moderate this improvement are still poorly understood. The study aimed to identify moderators of functional outcome improvement after integrative cognitive remediation (REHACOP) in schizophrenia. This was a secondary analysis of data from two randomized controlled trials, which included 182 patients (REHACOP group=94; active control group=88). Hierarchical regression analyses were conducted to identify moderators of functional outcome improvement. Two baseline level groups (low-level and high-level) were created to analyze the moderating role of this baseline level cluster using repeated measures ANCOVA. The REHACOP was effective regardless of participants' baseline level, but regression analyses indicated that the effectiveness on functional outcome was higher among those who were older, had fewer years in education, lower scores in baseline cognition and functional outcome, and more negative symptoms. Repeated measures ANOVA showed that the baseline level cluster influenced the improvement in functional outcome, with the low-level group showing greater improvements. The results reinforced the need to implement cognitive remediation programs more broadly as a treatment for schizophrenia in healthcare services. Furthermore, they provided evidence for the development of personalized cognitive remediation plans to improve benefits in different schizophrenia profiles.

Analyzing structural and functional brain changes related to an integrative cognitive remediation program for schizophrenia: A randomized controlled trial.

Cognitive remediation has been shown to improve cognition in schizophrenia, but little is known about the specific functional and structural brain changes related to the implementation of an integrative cognitive remediation program. This study analyzed the functional and structural brain changes identified after implementing an integrative cognitive remediation program, REHACOP, in schizophrenia. The program combined cognitive remediation, social cognitive training, and functional and social skills training. The sample included 59 patients that were assigned to either the REHACOP group or an active control group for 20 weeks. In addition to a clinical and neuropsychological assessment, T1-weighted, diffusion-weighted and functional magnetic resonance images were acquired during a resting-state and during a memory paradigm, both at baseline and follow-up. Voxel-based morphometry, tract-based spatial statistics, resting-state functional connectivity, and brain activation analyses during the memory paradigm were performed. Brain changes were assessed with a 2 × 2 repeated-measure analysis of covariance for group x time interaction. Intragroup paired t-tests were also carried out. Repeated-measure analyses revealed improvements in cognition and functional outcome, but no significant brain changes associated with the integrative cognitive remediation program. Intragroup analyses showed greater gray matter volume and cortical thickness in right temporal regions at post-treatment in the REHACOP group. The absence of significant brain-level results associated with cognitive remediation may be partly due to the small sample size, which limited the statistical power of the study. Therefore, further research is needed to clarify whether the temporal lobe may be a key area involved in cognitive improvements following cognitive remediation.

Use of conditional-discrimination training in remembering relatives in a man with Alzheimer’s Disease

In this study, a 72-year-old man with Alzheimer’s disease and a Mini-Mental Status (MMS) score of 25 participated. The participant was presented for class-formation sorting tests and conditionaldiscrimination training sequences and tests with portraits of close family members, their names, and family relationships as stimuli. The purpose of the study was to identify intact relations between stimuli, stimulus control issues and thereafter reestablish relations between stimuli. In the sorting tests, intact and weakened stimulus relations were identified. In addition, the results showed how correct stimulus control was reestablished after tailoring the conditional-discrimination training after the participant had shown systematical incorrect responding to some of the presented stimuli. Key words: conditional discrimination, matching-to-sample, dementia, sorting test, stimulus control (AU)

Vocational rehabilitation augmented with cognitive behavioral therapy or cognitive remediation for individuals with schizophrenia: a 5-year follow-up study.

INTRODUCTION: Although employment is an important part of recovery for individuals with schizophrenia spectrum disorders, the employment rate for this group remains low. Increasing evidence supports the use of augmented vocational rehabilitation (VR) programs to improve occupational outcome. The aim of this study is to explore 5-year follow-up registry data from the JUMP study, a VR program for individuals with schizophrenia spectrum disorders, specifically with regard to competitive employment outcome and predictors of competitive employment. The VR was augmented with either cognitive remediation (CR) or elements from cognitive behavior therapy (CBT). METHODS: One hundred and forty eight participants with schizophrenia spectrum disorders from six Norwegian counties received 10 months VR augmented with either CR (n = 64) or CBT (n = 84). Both competitive and sheltered workplaces were used. Assessments were conducted at baseline, at post intervention and at 2-year follow-up. Data on employment status at 5-year follow-up was obtained by registry. RESULTS: At 5-year follow-up 55.4% were engaged in working activity, of which 22.3% had obtained competitive employment. A further 18.2% had work placements in competitive workplaces. Number of received intervention hours and competitive employment at 2-year follow-up emerged as significant predictors of competitive employment. IQ and intervention type in marginal favor of CBT were predictors on trend level. CONCLUSION: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study investigating competitive employment at 5-year follow-up for individuals with schizophrenia spectrum disorders. The results add to existing evidence that competitive employment is attainable for this group.

Acceptability of cognitive remediation for schizophrenia: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

BACKGROUND: Acceptability is an important factor for predicting intervention use and potential treatment outcomes in psychosocial interventions. Cognitive remediation (CR) improves cognition and functioning in people with a diagnosis of schizophrenia, but its acceptability, and the impact of participants and treatment characteristics, remain to be investigated. Few studies provide a direct measure of acceptability, but treatment drop-out rates are often available and represent a valid surrogate. METHOD: The systematic search conducted for the most comprehensive CR outcomes database for schizophrenia was updated in December 2020. Eligible studies were randomized clinical trials comparing CR with any other control condition in patients diagnosed with schizophrenia spectrum disorders and that also reported drop-out in treatment and control arms separately. Acceptability was measured as odd-ratios (OR) of drop-out. RESULTS: Of 2119 identified reports, 151 studies, reporting 169 comparisons between CR and control interventions with 10 477 participants were included in the analyses. The overall rate of drop-out was 16.58% for CR programs and 15.21% for control conditions. In the meta-analysis, no difference emerged between CR interventions and controls [OR 1.10, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.96-1.25, p = 0.177]. Factors improving acceptability were: inpatient only recruitment, participants with fewer years of education and lower premorbid IQ, the presence of all CR core elements, and the presence of techniques to transfer cognitive gains into real-world functioning. CONCLUSIONS: CR for people diagnosed with schizophrenia is effective and has a good acceptability profile, similar to that of other evidence-based psychosocial interventions.

Factors Impacting Access and Engagement of Cognitive Remediation Therapy for People with Schizophrenia: A Systematic Review.

OBJECTIVES: Neurocognitive deficits are central in schizophrenia. Cognitive remediation has proven effective in alleviating these deficits, with medium effect sizes. However, sizeable attrition rates are reported, with the reasons still uncertain. Furthermore, cognitive remediation is not part of routine mental health care. We conducted a systematic review to investigate factors that influence access and engagement of cognitive remediation in schizophrenia. METHODS: We systematically searched the PubMed, Web of Science, and PsycINFO databases for peer-reviewed articles including a cognitive remediation arm, access, and engagement data, and participants with schizophrenia spectrum disorders aged 17-65 years old. Duplicates and studies without a distinct cognitive remediation component, protocol papers, single case studies, case series, and reviews/meta-analyses were excluded. RESULTS: We included 67 studies that reported data on access and engagement, and extracted quantitative and qualitative data. Access data were limited, with most interventions delivered on-site, to outpatients, and in middle- to high-income countries. We found a median dropout rate of 14.29%. Only a small number of studies explored differences between dropouts and completers (n = 5), and engagement factors (n = 13). Dropouts had higher negative symptomatology and baseline self-efficacy, and lower baseline neurocognitive functioning and intrinsic motivation compared to completers. The engagement was positively associated with intrinsic motivation, self-efficacy, perceived usefulness, educational level, premorbid intelligence quotient, baseline neurocognitive functioning, some neurocognitive outcomes, and therapeutic alliance; and negatively associated with subjective cognitive complaints. Qualitative results showed good acceptability of cognitive remediation, with some areas for improvement. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, access and engagement results are scarce and heterogeneous. Further investigations of cognitive remediation for inpatients, as well as remote delivery, are needed. Future clinical trials should systematically explore attrition and related factors. Determining influential factors of access and engagement will help improve the implementation and efficacy of cognitive remediation, and thus the recovery of people with schizophrenia.

Clinical and Cognitive Effects of Computer Assisted Cognitive Remediation Method in Turkish Men with Opioid Use Disorder: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Objective: Substance use disorders are associated with significant cognitive impairments causing many individual or social problems besides poor treatment outcomes. The cognitive remediation method is effective in so many neuropsychiatric disorders. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of this method among individuals with opioid use disorder. Method:60 patients diagnosed with opioid use disorder under buprenorphine-naloxone treatment and who accepted the informed consent were included. Seven patients left the study initially. 53 male patients were randomly assigned to receive treatment in the usual control or cognitive remediation-intervention group. The intervention group completed 3 to 4 sessions a week, 8 different exercises in each session, for 4 weeks, a total of 12 sessions, individually. Addiction Profile Indeks, Barrat Impulsivity Scale-SF, CGI, and Delay Discounting scores were measured before and after the 1 month cognitive Remediation practices. Three months later, patients were contacted, and their remission status was evaluated. Results: In the intervention group; 17(89.5%) people had remission and 2(10.5%) people had relapse. In the control group, 7(31.8%) individuals had remission, and 15(68.2%) had relapsed at the end of the 3 months. It was determined that craving, addiction severity, and self-reported and behavioral impulsivity values decreased while the improvement in treatment response was higher in the intervention group. Conclusion: Our results showed that the computer-assisted cognitive remediation method, in addition to buprenorphine-naloxone treatment, improves treatment response, increases remission, and has positive clinical and cognitive effects on individuals with opioid use disorder. It suggests that cognitive remediation practices can be added to the treatment programs for addiction.

Valoración de un programa de formación de cuidadores sobre la capacidad cognitiva de personas con demencia / Assessment of a caregiver training program on the cognitive capacity of people with dementia

Objetivos: El incremento de la población mayor ha hecho que se eleve el porcentaje de personas con demencia que requieren una atención especializada dirigida a mantener o retrasar su declive cognitivo y físico. El objetivo de esta investigación ha sido analizar si un grupo de personas con demencia mejoran cognitivamente al ser atendidos por cuidadores profesionales que han sido formados en un módulo de estimulación cognitiva del programa CUIDA-2 siguiendo los principios de la atención centrada en la persona. Metodología: La muestra estuvo formada por 47 personas con demencia (divididas en grupo tratamiento y grupo control) y 5 cuidadores formales de un centro de día de personas con demencia de Granada. El grupo tratamiento de personas mayores fue atendido durante 3 meses por cuidadores que recibieron el programa de formación. Todos los participantes fueron evaluados antes y después de la intervención con diversas pruebas de evaluación cognitiva. Resultados: Las personas con demencia que fueron atendidas por los cuidadores formados en el programa mantuvieron o mejoraron sus puntuaciones en todas las pruebas analizadas, si bien estas mejoras solo fueron significativas en diversas subescalas de los test empleados. Conclusiones: Se ha comprobado que el programa de formación de cuidadores aquí analizado produce un efecto positivo para las personas con demencia, ya que ayuda a mejorar y mantener sus funciones cognitivas. Esta investigación abre nuevas líneas de trabajo en el ámbito de la intervención cognitiva en personas con demencia que pueden ser de gran utilidad cuando se trabaje con esta población (AU)

Objectives: The increase in the elderly population has led to a rise in the percentage of people with dementia who require specialized attention aimed at maintaining or delaying their cognitive and physical decline. The aim of this research was to analyze whether a group of adults with dementia improve cognitively when being attended by professional caregivers who were trained in a cognitive stimulation module of the CUIDA-2 program following the principles of the person-centered-care model. Methodology: The sample consisted on 47 people with dementia (divided into treatment group and control group) and 5 professional caregivers of a day center for people with dementia in Granada. The older people treatment group was treated for three months by caregivers who received the training program. All participants were assessed before and after the intervention with various cognitive assessment tests. Results: People with dementia who were treated by caregivers trained in the program maintained or improved their scores in all the tests analyzed, although these improvements were only significant in various subtest. Conclusions: The caregiver training program produced a positive effect in the adults with dementia, as it helps to improve and maintain their cognitive functions. This research opens new lines of work in the field of cognitive intervention in people with dementia that can be very useful when working with this population (AU)

Randomized clinical trial of integral cognitive remediation program for major depression (INCREM).

BACKGROUND: Despite achieving clinical remission, patients with depression encounter difficulties to return to their premorbid psychosocial functioning. Cognitive dysfunction has been proposed to be a primary mediator of functional impairment. Therefore, the new non-pharmacological procognitive strategy INtegral Cognitive REMediation for Depression (INCREM) has been developed with the aim of targeting cognitive and psychosocial functioning. METHODS: This is a single-blind randomized controlled clinical trial with three treatment arms. Fifty-two depressed patients in clinical remission, with psychosocial difficulties and cognitive impairment, were randomly assigned to receive INCREM intervention, Psychoeducation programme, or treatment as usual. Patients were assessed before and after the study period, and six months after. The primary outcome was the change from baseline of patients' psychosocial functioning. Changes in cognitive functioning and other variables were considered secondary outcomes. RESULTS: The analysis showed a significant improvement in psychosocial functioning in the INCREM group, especially six months after the intervention, compared to patients who received the psychoeducation programme. An improvement in cognitive performance was also observed in the INCREM group. LIMITATIONS: This study includes a small sample size due to the anticipated end of the clinical trial because of the COVID-19 pandemic. DISCUSSION: These results provide preliminary evidence on the feasibility and potential efficacy of the INCREM program to improve not only cognitive performance but also psychosocial functioning in clinically remitted depressed patients, and such improvement is maintained six months after. It can be speculated that the maintenance is mediated by the cognitive enhancement achieved with INCREM.

Can neuroimaging-based biomarkers predict response to cognitive remediation in patients with psychosis? A state-of-the-art review.

BACKGROUND: Cognitive Remediation (CR) is designed to halt the pathological neural systems that characterize major psychotic disorders (MPD), and its main objective is to improve cognitive functioning. The magnitude of CR-induced cognitive gains greatly varies across patients with MPD, with up to 40% of patients not showing gains in global cognitive performance. This is likely due to the high degree of heterogeneity in neural activation patterns underlying cognitive endophenotypes, and to inter-individual differences in neuroplastic potential, cortical organization and interaction between brain systems in response to learning. Here, we review studies that used neuroimaging to investigate which biomarkers could potentially serve as predictors of treatment response to CR in MPD. METHODS: This systematic review followed the PRISMA guidelines. An electronic database search (Embase, Elsevier; Scopus, PsycINFO, APA; PubMed, APA) was conducted in March 2021. peer-reviewed, English-language studies were included if they reported data for adults aged 18+ with MPD, reported findings from randomized controlled trials or single-arm trials of CR; and presented neuroimaging data. RESULTS: Sixteen studies were included and eight neuroimaging-based biomarkers were identified. Auditory mismatch negativity (3 studies), auditory steady-state response (1), gray matter morphology (3), white matter microstructure (1), and task-based fMRI (7) can predict response to CR. Efference copy corollary/discharge, resting state, and thalamo-cortical connectivity (1) require further research prior to being implemented. CONCLUSIONS: Translational research on neuroimaging-based biomarkers can help elucidate the mechanisms by which CR influences the brain's functional architecture, better characterize psychotic subpopulations, and ultimately deliver CR that is optimized and personalized.

Young people and parents' views towards individual cognitive remediation therapy-qualitative findings from a feasibility randomised controlled trial.

PURPOSE: Cognitive Remediation Therapy (CRT) has been used mostly in adults. Randomised Controlled Trials (RCTs) in anorexia nervosa (AN) have shown that CRT enhances cognitive flexibility, abstract thinking and is associated with quality-of-life improvement. More research is needed in younger populations. METHODS: A single-centre feasibility RCT with young people (YP) with AN was conducted in an inpatient setting. A secondary aim of this study was to explore patient satisfaction and parents' views towards CRT to inform further development and implementation of CRT in YP. YP were asked to complete a therapy feedback questionnaire and write a letter with their views on CRT. Parents were asked to complete a questionnaire exploring their perceptions of CRT. Data were analysed using inductive thematic and deductive content analysis. RESULTS: Both YP and parents valued CRT. Its engaging and pragmatic nature and its focus on thinking styles were perceived as a novel aspect. Parents expressed the need to be involved in the sessions to be able to continue to support their children at home. CONCLUSIONS: This study confirms previous qualitative findings. Should a fully powered RCT be conducted, it would be important to take into account these findings to further adapt the content of the CRT sessions to the YP needs and to consider their parents' involvement in the sessions, which could also increase the likelihood of parents' engagement in providing their feedback. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level I: Evidence obtained from one randomized controlled trial.

Action-based cognitive remediation in bipolar disorder improved verbal memory but had no effect on the neural response during episodic memory encoding.

Verbal memory and executive function impairments are common in remitted patients with bipolar disorder (BD). We recently found that Action-Based Cognitive Remediation (ABCR) may improve executive function and verbal memory in BD. Here, we investigated neuronal changes associated with ABCR treatment-related memory improvement in a longitudinal functional MRI (fMRI) study. Forty-five patients with remitted BD (ABCR: n = 26, control treatment: n = 19) completed a picture-encoding task during fMRI and tests of verbal memory and executive function outside the scanner before and after two weeks of ABCR/control treatment. The cognitive assessment was performed again following ten weeks of treatment. Thirty-four healthy controls underwent the same test protocol once for baseline comparisons. Patients showed a moderate improvement in a domain composite of verbal learning and memory both after two weeks and ten weeks of ABCR treatment, which correlated with improved executive function. At baseline, patients showed encoding-related hypoactivity in dorsal prefrontal cortex compared to healthy controls. However, treatment was not associated with significant task-related neuronal activity changes. Improved verbal learning and memory may have occurred through strengthened strategic processing targeted by ABCR. However, picture-encoding paradigms may be suboptimal to capture the neural correlates of this improvement, possibly by failing to engage strategic encoding processes.

Influence of pre-treatment structural brain measures on effects of action-based cognitive remediation on executive function in partially or fully remitted patients with bipolar disorder.

Cognitive impairment is an emerging treatment target in patients with bipolar disorder (BD) but so far, no evidence-based treatment options are available. Recent studies indicate promising effects of Cognitive Remediation (CR) interventions, but it is unclear who responds most to these interventions. This report aimed to investigate whether pre-treatment dorsal prefrontal cortex (dPFC) thickness predicts improvement of executive function in response to Action-Based Cognitive Remediation (ABCR) in patients with BD. Complete baseline magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data were available from 45 partially or fully remitted patients with BD from our randomized controlled ABCR trial (ABCR: n = 25, control group: n = 20). We performed cortical reconstruction and volumetric segmentation using FreeSurfer. Multiple linear regression analysis was conducted to assess the influence of dPFC thickness on ABCR-related executive function improvement, reflected by change in the One Touch Stocking of Cambridge performance from baseline to post-treatment. We also conducted whole brain vertex wise analysis for exploratory purposes. Groups were well-matched for demographic and clinical variables. Less pre-treatment dPFC thickness was associated with greater effect of ABCR on executive function (p = 0.02). Further, whole-brain vertex analysis revealed an association between smaller pre-treatment superior temporal gyrus volume and greater ABCR-related executive function improvement. The observed associations suggest that structural abnormalities in dPFC and superior temporal gyrus are key neurocircuitry treatment targets for CR interventions that target impaired executive function in BD.

An fMRI study of cognitive remediation in drug-naïve subjects diagnosed with first episode schizophrenia.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of our functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study was to examine brain activity using a "1-back" paradigm as working memory task in drug-naïve subjects with first episode schizophrenia before and after cognitive remediation training. METHODS: In this study 15 drug-naïve first episode subjects who met DSM-IV criteria for schizophrenia were randomized to receive either atypical antipsychotics (AP, n = 8) or atypical antipsychotics in combination with cognitive remediation therapy (AP + CR, n = 7), 11 subjects had a follow-up fMRI examination after therapy (AP, n = 5; AP + CR, n = 6). RESULTS: In 4 of the 6 AP + CR subjects the number of activation clusters increased, whereas in 4 out of the 5 AP subjects the number of clusters decreased (mean number of clusters: AP + CR = 5.53, SD 12.79, AP = -5.8, SD 6.9). CONCLUSION: In this randomized study the number of activation clusters during a working memory task increased after cognitive remediation training. Our data show that neurobiological effects of cognitive remediation can be identified in the very early course of schizophrenia.

Efectividad de la estimulación cognitiva en pacientes del hospital de dia del parc sanitari pere virgili / Effectiveness of cognitive stimulation in patients of the parc sanitari day hospital pere virgili

La demencia en España se da hasta en el 15% de los mayores de 65 años, y el 17,2% de los mayores de 70 años. Su abordaje no farmacológico incluye la estimulación cognitiva que aporta claros beneficios según la literatura. Objetivo: Evaluar la eficacia de la estimulación cognitiva en pacientes ingresados en el hospital de día del Hospital de día (HD) del Parc Sanitari Pere Virgili (PSPV), evaluando su impacto sobre el paciente a nivel cognitivo, funcional, social y emocional. Metodología: Se realizó un estudio longitudinal prospectivo de intervención. Se realizó un corte transversal antes de iniciar la terapia y un corte transversal al finalizarla. Se compararon ambos cortes concluyendo si había diferencias significativas entre ellos. El estudio se realizó en el HD del PSPV. Los sujetos de estudio fueron los pacientes ingresados en el HD del PSPV, que cumplan los criterios de inclusión y exclusión del estudio. Se recogieron los datos de los pacientes que realizaron la Estimulación Cognitiva desde Enero/febrero hasta noviembre/diciembre del 2018. Los participantes en el estudio fueron 56. La intervención realizada fueron las terapias que se llevan a cabo en el HD, estimulación cognitiva oral, escrita o a través de ordenador y gimnasia colectiva: en el caso que lo precisaran, también realizaron fisioterapia o terapia ocupacional. Las diferentes variables se recogieron en el Cuaderno de recogida de datos, incluyeron: Edad, Género, MMSE, Barthel y Lawton. El análisis estadístico de los datos se realizó mediante el programa estadístico SPSS® (Statistical Product and Service Solutions) versión 20.0.Se realizó un análisis descriptivo de todas las variables recogidas. El estudio cuenta con algunas limitaciones y aspectos éticos que se han tenido en cuenta en el desarrollo de este. El presupuesto que se precisó para dicha actividad fue limitado, ya que la intervención ya se estaba realizando previamente. Se llevó a cabo durante el año 2018 (AU)

Dementia in Spain occurs up to 15% of those over 65 years of age, and the 17.2% of those over the age of 70. Its nonpharmacological approach includes the cognitive stimulation which provides clear benefits according to the literature. Objective:To evaluate the efficacy of cognitive stimulation in patients admitted to the Parc Sanitari Pere Virgili (PSPV) day hospital (HD), evaluating it’s cognitive, functional, social and emotional impact on the patient. Methodology: A prospective longitudinal study of intervention. A transversal cut was made before starting the therapy and a cut cross when finished. Both cuts were compared concluding if there was significant differences between them. The study was carried out in the HD of the PSPV. Its subjects were the patients admitted to the HD of the PSPV, who met the inclusion and exclusion criteria of the study. The data was collected from the patients who underwent Cognitive Stimulation from January/February to November/December or 2018. There was a total of 56 participants in the study. Intervention carried out were the therapies are being fulfilled at the HD, including, oral, written or computerized cognitive stimulation and collective gymnastics: if it was required, they also could performe physiotherapy or occupational therapy. The different variables were collected in the Data Collection Notebook, they included: Age, Gender, MMSE, Barthel and Lawton. The statistical analysis of the data was carried out using the statistical program SPSS® (Statistical Product and Service Solutions) version 20.0. A descriptive analysis of all variables was performed. The study has some limitations and ethical aspects that have been taken into account in its development. The budget required for said activity was limited, since the intervention was already being carried out previously. It was executed out during the year 2018 (AU)

Effects of Combined Cognitive and Exercise Interventions on Poststroke Cognitive Function: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

OBJECTIVE: We investigated combined cognitive and exercise interventions in the literature and summarized their effectiveness in improving poststroke cognitive impairment (PSCI). Data Sources. Electronic databases and trial registries were searched from their inception until July 2020. Study Selection. Trials were collected with the following study inclusion criteria: (1) patients over 18 years of age who were diagnosed with PSCI; (2) combined cognitive-exercise interventions, regardless of the order of the two types of interventions or whether they were administered simultaneously; (3) any control group studied at the same time that was deemed acceptable, including no intervention/routine care, delayed intervention, sham intervention, and passive training; (4) the use of any validated cognitive neuropsychological test to evaluate cognitive function; and (5) clinically administered random trials with controls. Data Extraction. Five randomized controlled trials met the inclusion criteria. Two reviewers independently assessed the eligibility of the full texts and methodological quality of the included studies using the Cochrane risk of bias tool. Inconsistent results were resolved by additional discussion or decided by a third examiner, if necessary. Data Analysis. Meta-analysis demonstrated that the combined interventions had a significant effect on executive function and working memory [Stroop test (time), standardized mean difference (SMD) = 0.42, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.80-0.04, p = 0.02; Trail Making Test, SMD = 0.49, 95% CI: 0.82-0.16, p = 0.004; Forward Digit Span Test, SMD = 0.91, 95% CI: 0.54-1.29, p ≤ 0.001]. While it was impossible to conduct a meta-analysis of global cognitive function and other cognitive domains, individual experiments demonstrated that the combined interventions played a significant role in global cognition, reasoning ability, logical thinking, and visual-spatial memory function. CONCLUSIONS: Our analyses demonstrated that the combined interventions had a significant effect on the improvement of PSCI, particularly in terms of executive function. However, the moderate risk of bias in the included trials and the small number of relevant studies indicated a need for more uniform diagnostic and evaluation criteria, and larger trials would provide stronger evidence to better understand the effectiveness of the combined interventions. This trial is registered with trial registration number INPLASY202160090.

Mejora del razonamiento analógico en ancianos / Improving Analog Reasoning in the Elderly

Analogical reasoning is perhaps the core element of intelligent behavior and it has been related to successful aging. The present study aimed to impact the analogical reasoning of the elderly individuals through the application of an analogies protocol based on promoting fluency and flexibility (FFA) in relational responding. The FFA protocol was designed specifically for this study and according to the available information on relational behavior. A pre-post design with two conditions, five participants each ranged of 69 to 89 years old. At pre-test, participants responded to two WAIS subscales as well as to three analogies tasks specifically designed for the study. Then, fluency and flexibility analogies protocol (FFA) was applied to the participants of the experimental condition throughout a week. Subsequently, in post-test, the same measures used in the pre-test were applied. The FFA protocol had a significant impact on three of the five measures. The sensitivity of the tests was discussed as well as different ways to improve the protocol impact were all discussed. The relevant effect produced for most of the participants are discussed and highlighted (AU)

Efecto de la intervención de estimulación cognitiva individual de larga duración para personas con trastorno neurocognitivo leve / Effect of long-term individual cognitive stimulation intervention for people with mild neurocognitive disorder

Introducción: La estimulación cognitiva puede ser beneficiosa para ralentizar la progresión del trastorno neurocognitivo (TNC) leve, pero los resultados de las investigaciones existentes son inconsistentes. Además, no existen intervenciones a largo plazo ni intervenciones individuales (uno a uno) aplicadas por profesionales. Objetivo: El objetivo de este estudio fue evaluar la eficacia de una intervención de estimulación cognitiva individual de larga duración para personas con TNC leve. Pacientes y métodos: Se llevó a cabo un diseño pretest-postest con un grupo control no equivalente. Un total de 82 participantes con TNC leve fueron asignados a un grupo de intervención de estimulación cognitiva o a un grupo control. La intervención consistió en 88 sesiones de formato individual de aproximadamente 45 minutos, dos veces por semana. Evaluadores independientes evaluaron la cognición, la sintomatología depresiva y el nivel de autonomía en las actividades de la vida diaria en la preintervención (línea base), la intraintervención (seis meses) y la postintervención (12 meses). Resultados: En la intra- y la postintervención, se encontró una mejora significativa en la cognición y la sintomatología depresiva en el grupo de intervención en comparación con el grupo control. Los participantes más jóvenes y los que tenían una mejor función y estado cognitivo en la preintervención obtuvieron mejores resultados. La adhesión a la intervención fue alta. Conclusiones: Los resultados sugieren la eficacia de una intervención cognitiva individual de larga duración para personas con TNC leve, que podría retrasar la progresión hacia un TNC mayor.(AU)

Introduction: Cognitive stimulation may be beneficial in slowing the progression of mild neurocognitive disorder (NCD), but the results of existing research are inconsistent. Furthermore, there are no long-term interventions nor individual (one-on-one) interventions applied by professionals. Objetive: The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of a long-term individual cognitive stimulation intervention on people with mild NCD. Patients and methods: A pre-post test design with a non-equivalent control group was conducted. A total of 82 participants with mild NCD were assigned to a cognitive stimulation intervention group or to a control group. The intervention consisted of 88 individual format sessions of approximately 45 minutes, twice per week. Independent evaluators assessed cognition, depressive symptomatology and autonomy level in activities of daily living at pre-intervention, intra-intervention (6 months) and post-intervention (12 months). Results: At intra- and post-intervention, significant improvement on cognition and depressive symptomatology in the intervention group compared to the control group were found. Younger participants and those with better cognitive function and status in pre-intervention achieved better results. Adherence to the intervention was high. Conclusions: Results suggest the efficacy of long-term individual cognitive intervention in people with mild NCD, which could delay the progression towards a major NCD.(AU)

Cognitive remediation therapy for anorexia nervosa as a rolling group intervention: Data from a longitudinal study in an eating disorders specialized inpatient unit.

OBJECTIVE: Cognitive remediation therapy (CRT) has been proposed as an add-on treatment approach that could increase the engagement in treatment of anorexia nervosa (AN) patients and reduce maintaining factors, but prior studies have evaluated CRT in individual and group settings, difficult protocols for rehabilitation settings. Our aim is to evaluate the CRT rolling protocol implementation in an inpatient specialised unit. METHODS: A historical longitudinal controlled study was designed to include 31 AN patients for the CRT program, and 28 AN patients treated as usual. The CRT rolling group was implemented in a multidisciplinary inpatient rehabilitation ward with both adolescent and adult patients and an 8-weeks protocol. To evaluate the treatment implementation effect, different self-administered questionnaires were used. RESULTS: The study found greater improvements of the CRT group in clinical symptomatology (p = 0.039), flexibility (p = 0.003), self-confidence about the ability to change (p < 0.001), and less short-term focus (p < 0.001), with no differences between restrictive and binge-purging patients. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that CRT rolling group protocol is feasible in an inpatient treatment setting and may improve a rehabilitation program's outcome. Our results have shown how CRT can influence cognitive styles considered AN maintenance factors, positively affecting both restrictive and binge-purge type.