A review of the use of cognitive stimulation therapy in dementia management

Abstract

There has been increasing interest in therapeutic interventions for dementia. Although the main emphasis has been on drug therapies, there is growing recognition that psychosocial interventions have an important role to play. This has been highlighted in the draft guidelines for the care of dementia released by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence. Cognitive stimulation therapy is a brief treatment for people with mild-to-moderate dementia. It is based on the theoretical concepts of reality orientation and cognitive stimulation. It involves 14 sessions of themed activities, which usually run twice a week over a 7-week period. A multi-centre, randomized controlled trial showed that cognitive stimulation therapy, when compared to no treatment, led to significant benefits in cognition and quality of life. Cognitive stimulation therapy is also cost-effective, and benefits in cognition are comparable to those gained through medication. This review discusses how cognitive stimulation therapy was developed and evaluated, the implications of its effectiveness and how it might be used in a clinical setting.