The Effectiveness of Cognitive Rehabilitation Software on the Cognitive Functions of Patients with Non-Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment

Background and Aims Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is one of the cognitive profiles of senility. It is classified into amnestic and nonamnestic MCI depending on the involvement of different cognitive functions. This research aims to design a cognitive rehabilitation software based on the attention process model and investigate its effect on the attention and executive functions of older people with nonamnestic mild cognitive impairment.
Methods This quasi-experimental research employed a pretest-posttest and follow-up design. After designing the software program, 30 older people over 60 who were diagnosed with nonamnestic mild cognitive impairment through NUCOG (Neuropsychiatry Unit Cognitive Assessment Tool) screening and a psychiatrist who met the inclusion criteria were randomly assigned to the experimental or control group (each with 15 people). To perform the rehabilitation intervention, a software system was designed based on Mateer and Sohlberg attention process training, whose validity and reliability have been confirmed in Iranian older adults. After the pretest, the experimental group received the rehabilitation intervention with the software, and the control group did not receive anything. Three months after the completion of the sessions, both groups were assessed as the posttest, and the results were compared using an analysis of covariance and the Mann-Whitney U test using SPSS software, version 26.
Results The results indicated significant differences between the posttest scores of the experimental and control groups in the mean score of errors in congruent and incongruent selective attention, executive function score, time and error in alternating attention in the colors trail test A form (CTT-A) and time in alternating attention in CTT-B and also time and error in separated attention (P<0.05). However, there were no significant differences between the two groups posttest mean scores in selective attention time, time and error in sustained attention, and error in CTT-B alternating attention (P>0.05). The intervention did not cause any significant improvement in these domains. Also, the results were sustained after 3 months.
Conclusion The results confirmed the efficacy of cognitive rehabilitation interventions. The designed cognitive rehabilitation software in this research can cause a significant improvement in attention and executive functions of patients with nonamnestic mild cognitive impairment. It can be used as a clinical intervention.