Cognitive stimulation in old age: Preliminary report

Objective: to test the utility of cognitive stimulation in a group of healt hy older people. Design: a pilot study in 11 healthy women from Conchalt co uncil. All of the were evaluated before and after stimulation using Minimen tal State Examination of Folstein (MM), Memory Wechsler Scale (MW) and Geri atric Depression Scale (GDS). Participants: were selected from a group of r egularly participants in center for seniors, aged 60 years or more (mean 66 ,6 years old), able to read and write (mean scholarship 5,3 years). Interve ntion: 16 workshop 90 minutes, twice a week during 2 months. They had motiv ation pantomime plays, memory activities and so on. Result: Wilcoxon signed rank pre and post workshop for MM was -2.633 (p = 0.008), for MW was -2.93 8 (p = 0.003) and for GDS was -2.943 (p = 0.03) Conclusions: cognitive stim ulation could be useful in older people. It is necessary to increase the sa mple.