Disclosures: Miran Yoo, n/a: No financial relationships or conflicts of interest

Case Description: Case 1> A 80-year-old man presented to the hospital with memory disturbance started in 2012. His MMSE score was 28/30 and GDS was 3/7. His symptom got worse and was evaluated as MMSE 22/30 in 2015. He was diagnosed as early Alzheimer’s disease and involved in cognitive rehabilitation program since October 2016.
Case 2> A 60-year-old woman presented to the hospital with memory impairment in 2015. She was evaluated as MMSE 27, CDR 0.5 and in July 2016, she complained of aggravated memory impairment evaluated as MMSE 25, CDR 0.5. Amyloid deposition was seen in bilateral frontal, parietal, lateral temporal cortex on amyloid PET-CT (Positron emission tomography-computed tomography). She was diagnosed as prodromal Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and involved in cognitive rehabilitation program since March 2017.

Setting: The comprehensive cognitive rehabilitation in single center comprised of five phases: (1) baseline assessments, (2) goal identification and goal setting through ‘Family meeting’ based on patient and carer communication, (3) cognitive rehabilitation intervention sessions, (4) post-test assessments (6-months follow-up) and (5) assessment of goal achievement and goal adjustment through ‘Family meeting’.

Patient: A 80-year-old man diagnosed as early Alzheimer’s disease and a 60-year-old woman diagnosed as prodromal Alzheimer’s disease

Assessment/Results: After 6-months intervention, both patients showed improvements in MMSE score, IADL, mean COPM performance, satisfaction rating.

Discussion: One of the main advantages of cognitive rehabilitation is that it focuses on setting goals, engaging in interventions, and improving the function of patients in real situations. Alzheimer’s disease is a slowly progressive neurodegenerative disease, but cognitive rehabilitation, which focuses on improving daily functioning in the early stages, is thought to help maintain the patient’s function and quality of life in terms of function.

Conclusion: In summary, goal-oriented comprehensive cognitive rehabilitation based on patient and carer communication could be one approach to support everyday functioning for elderly people with early-stage AD.

Level of Evidence: Level V

« Back to AAPM&R Annual Assembly 2020

PM&R Meeting Abstracts - https://pmrjabstracts.org/abstract/comprehensive-cognitive-rehabilitation-therapy-for-early-stage-alzheimers-disease-a-report-of-two-cases/