Effects of multiple training modalities in patients with Alzheimer's disease: a pilot study.


Author: Tai SY1, Hsu CL2, Huang SW2, Ma TC3, Hsieh WC4, Yang YH5

Affiliation: <sup>1</sup>Department of Family Medicine, Kaohsiung Municipal Ta-Tung Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University; Department of Family Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University; Department of Family Medicine, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University; Research Center for Environmental Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University.

<sup>2</sup>Department of Neurology, Kaohsiung Municipal Ta-Tung Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University.

<sup>3</sup>Graduate Institute of Oral Health Sciences, Kaohsiung Medical University; Mentality Protection Center, Fo Guang Shan Compassion Foundation.

<sup>4</sup>Department of Social Work, Kaohsiung Municipal Ta-Tung Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University; Department of Sociology and Social Work, Kaohsiung Medical University.

<sup>5</sup>Department of Neurology, Kaohsiung Municipal Ta-Tung Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University; Mentality Protection Center, Fo Guang Shan Compassion Foundation; Department of Neurology, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University; Department of and Master's Program in Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan.
Conference/Journal: Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat.
Date published: 2016 Nov 1
Other:
 Volume ID: 12   ,  Pages: 2843-2849   ,  Word Count: 263  
    OBJECTIVE: This pilot study investigated the effects of multiple training modalities on cognition, neuropsychiatric symptoms, caregivers' burden, and quality of life in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD).



PATIENTS AND METHODS: This intervention study was conducted in 24 patients with AD aged ≥65 years with a Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) score of 0.5-1. The patients were assigned to receive multiple training modalities (1 hour for each training: Tai Chi, calligraphy, and drawing) over a 6-week period in either the experimental group (n=14) or the comparison group (n=10). A series of neuropsychological tests - namely the Traditional Chinese version Mini-Mental Status Examination, Cognitive Assessment Screening Instrument (CASI), Neuropsychiatric Inventory and the Neuropsychiatric Inventory Caregiver Distress Scale, and the Clinical Dementia Rating Sum of Boxes scale - were conducted at the baseline and after the intervention. The World Health Organization Quality of Life-BREF (WHOQOL-BREF) and Zarit Caregiver Burden Scale were used to assess the quality of life and caregivers' burden, respectively. Independent sample t-test and paired sample t-test were used to analyze the data.



RESULTS: After the intervention, the experimental group reported higher scores in the orientation domain of CASI (P=0.007) and in the psychiatry domain of WHOQOL-BREF (P=0.042) compared with the comparison group. Caregivers' distress was significantly decreased in the experimental group (P=0.035) but not in the comparison group (P=0.430).



CONCLUSION: The multiple training modalities improved scores in the orientation domain of CASI and psychiatry domain of WHOQOL-BREF in patients with AD. Moreover, the intervention reduced caregivers' distress.



KEYWORDS: Alzheimer’s disease; caregivers’ burden; cognitive function; multiple training modalities; quality of life



PMID: 27843319 PMCID: PMC5098772 DOI: 10.2147/NDT.S116257