Outpatient cognitive therapy can change the course of dementia irrespective of etiology

Abstract

AbstractIntroductionNeuroplasticity can only occur in an ideal body condition and establish a new synaptic connection with repeated stimulations in weak cognitive domains or circuits.MethodA Two‐phase study was planned as a course of memory loss treatment in an outpatient clinic for a period of 3 years. 49 of 72 acquired brain injury and dementia patients completed X≥14 sessions of cognitive therapy intervention within the period of 2‐4 months. Patients selected for intervention had mild severe memory loss on MoCA Score [(9‐24)/30]. The first phase of intervention was the correction of nutraceutical status and sleep optimization. The second phase of the intervention was individualized cognitive therapy (CT) by trained cognitive therapists after the Digital Mobile Assessment of Cognitive test (DMAC) was given before and after an intervention. The domains included visual, auditory, delayed recall, attention, executive, number recall, disinhibition, language, and working memory.ResultsStatistical analysis of n‐49 with confidence interval 95%, series paired t‐tests showed in the post‐intervention group, on average, scores were higher as follows: Visual domain 4.89% to 13.74% (p < 0.001), Auditory domain 8.35% to 19.72% (p < 0.001), Delayed recall 21.34% to 33.95% (p < 0.001), Disinhibition Frontal domain 6.89% to 21.80% (p < 0.001), Attention domain 9.33%, 26.12% (p < 0.001 ), Executive domain 9.81%, 23.06% ( p < 0.001), Number domain 5.22% to 17.91% (p < 0.001), and Working memory 2.96%, 29.85% (p = 0.01).DiscussionDr. Eric Kandel, Nobel Laureate, showed that damaged neurons can synapse after repeated neuron stimulation. Physical therapy is a standard of practice after acquired brain injury, but cognitive impairment evaluation is often ignored. The systematic approach to body optimization for learning and cognitive therapy can change the course of cognitive decline in dementia or acquired brain injury.ConclusionThe significant improvement in mild to severe dementia in short‐term memory or patients’ ability of memory retention improved 22% to 34% in the intervention group provides statistically significant evidence that a systematic approach to cognitive therapy can reverse the course of cognitive decline.