A Study on Cognitive Activity Programs for Elderly Person with Mild Cognitive Impairment

Abstract

Background/Objectives: This study is to investigate how the difference of short term memory and sustained attention in cognitive activity programs (CAP) applied to the elderly person with mild cognitive impairment (MCI).

Methods/Statistical analysis: 18 Elderly with MCI were classified into three groups, experimental group 1 (EG1) performed activities of daily living based CAP (ADL-CAP), and experimental group 2 (EG2) implemented a workbook based CAP. Control group (CG) did not receive any special intervention. For short term memory and sustained attention, the evaluation form used a digit span test (DST), digit symbol substitution test (DSST) and attention questionnaire scale (AQS). In statistical analysis, One-way ANOVA was used to investigate the differences in DST, DSST, and AQS after intervention among three groups, and an independent sample T-test was performed to confirm the DST, DSST, and AQS after intervention between EG.

Findings: In EG1, short term memory and sustained attention showed a significant difference, and in EG2, only the sustained attention showed a statistically significant difference among three group. and In the comparison of short memory and sustained attention after intervention between the two experimental groups, there were significant differences in DST, DSST, and AQS after intervention in EG1. Improvements/Applications: CAP helped elderly with MCI improve short term memory and sustained attention on intervention such as ADLs based CAP and workbook-based CAP. In particular, ADLs based CAP tailored to the characteristics of the subject can affect the short term memory and sustained attention by enhancing the subject's participation.