Meta-Analysis
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2025. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Psychiatry. Apr 19, 2025; 15(4): 102542
Published online Apr 19, 2025. doi: 10.5498/wjp.v15.i4.102542
Meta-analysis of the effect of cognitive stimulation therapy on cognitive function in patients with Alzheimer's disease
Yi-Ting Lu, Xin Zhang, Jun Cheng
Yi-Ting Lu, Department of Psychiatry, Shenyang Mental Health Center, Shenyang 110000, Liaoning Province, China
Xin Zhang, Department of Neurology, Shenyang First People's Hospital, Shenyang 110000, Liaoning Province, China
Jun Cheng, Second Department of Psychology, Shenyang Mental Health Center, Shenyang 110000, Liaoning Province, China
Author contributions: Lu YT conducted literature search and statistics; Zhang X conducted technical analysis; Cheng J conducted material collection and proofreading.
Supported by Liaoning Provincial Natural Science Foundation, No. 2022-MS-430; Shenyang Science and Technology Bureau Project, No. 22-321-33-56; and Shenyang Municipal Health Commission Project, No. 2022006.
Conflict-of-interest statement: Authors have no conflict of interest to declare.
PRISMA 2009 Checklist statement: The authors have read the PRISMA 2009 Checklist, and the manuscript was prepared and revised according to the PRISMA 2009 Checklist.
Open Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Xin Zhang, PhD, Professor, Department of Neurology, Shenyang First People's Hospital, No. 67 Qingquan Road, Dadong District, Shenyang 110000, Liaoning Province, China. zhangxin0321sy@163.com
Received: December 5, 2024
Revised: January 10, 2025
Accepted: February 24, 2025
Published online: April 19, 2025
Processing time: 110 Days and 1 Hours
Abstract
BACKGROUND

There is no effective treatment for Alzheimer's disease (AD), and pharmacological treatment of AD in clinical settings is expensive and prolonged, resulting in a huge psychological and economic burden on the patient's family and caregivers and society as a whole, AD is characterized by progressive, worsening cognitive impairment, and there are currently no drugs that can effectively reverse cognitive impairment. However, it is important to intervene early or delay cognitive impairment so that the condition can be delayed and, ultimately, the burden on patients and families can be reduced through maintenance treatment. It may be that non-pharmacological interventions such as cognitive stimulation therapy (CST) can help with cognitive dysfunction.

AIM

To provide a better treatment plan for AD patients and delay the deterioration of cognitive function, the effect of CST on cognitive function in AD was studied by Meta-analysis.

METHODS

Comprehensive search the Chinese and English databases were comprehensively searched by computer. Chinese databases: China Biomedical Literature Database (CBM), Wanfang Database, VIP Database, and China Periodicals Full-text Database (CNKI). The collection time limit is from July 21, 2010 to July 21, 2022 randomized controlled trials literature on the effects of CST on cognitive function in patients with AD. According to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, literature screening, data extraction, and quality evaluation were performed. Standardized mean difference (SMD) and 95%CI were used as evaluation criteria to evaluate the cognitive function of CST in AD patients. Sensitivity analysis and publication bias detection were performed on the results. Publication bias was assessed using funnel plots, and funnel plot symmetry was assessed with Eggr's test.

RESULTS

CST can not improve Mental State Examination Scale (MMSE) scores in AD patients. Meta-analysis of CST on MMSE scores showed that the heterogeneity was P = 0.14, I2 = 35%. I2 = 35% < 50%, and the Q test P > 0.1, choose the random effect model to integrate statistics, get SMD = 0.02, 95%CI: -0.37, 0.42, P > 0.05. Meta-analysis of CST on AD Cognitive Functioning Assessment Scale scores showed that the heterogeneity was P = 0.13, I2 = 36%. I2 = 36% < 50 choose a fixed effect model to integrate statistics, get SMD = -0.01, 95%CI: -0.40, 0.39, P > 0.05, the difference is not statistically significant. Meta-analysis of CST on the cognitive function indicators of patients showed that the heterogeneity was P = 0.17, I2 = 31%. I2 = 31% < 50%, the fixed effect model showed SMD = 0.01, 95%CI: -0.37, 0.38, P > 0.05, the difference was not statistically significant.

CONCLUSION

CST may not improve the cognitive function of AD patients, not improve the cognitive function of AD patients, not improve the ability of daily living, and not reduce mental behavior can improve the cognitive function of AD patients.

Keywords: Cognitive stimulation therapy; Alzheimer's disease; Meta-analysis; Cognitive function

Core Tip: At present, there is no effective drug to cure Alzheimer's disease (AD), and how to delay the deterioration of the disease is the focus of research. Cognitive therapy is based on the theoretical hypothesis that cognitive process affects emotion and behavior proposed by cognitive psychology, and uses cognitive and behavioral techniques to improve patients' bad cognition. So what is the clinical effect of cognitive therapy on AD?