Efeitos da reabilitação cognitiva na memória episódica de idosos com transtorno neurocognitivo leve

Abstract

Mild Neurocognitive Disorder (MND) has been considered a transitional stage between normal aging and dementia. Cognitive impairment in Episodic Memory (EM) is one of the cognitive markers of MND and early-stage dementia decline. This systematic review aimed to evaluate the effects of cognitive rehabilitation on episodic memory in elderly individuals with MND. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were considered, and searches were developed in the databases: Web of Science, MEDLINE, EMBASE, and PsycINFO (2012-2022). Twelve studies involving a total of 1,303 individuals were included. The methodological quality in the PEDro Scale was considered regular (median = 6), and the quality of evidence by the GRADE scale was low. Moderate effects on episodic memory-related outcomes, improvement in the use of compensatory strategies, and changes in brain activation in the post-intervention period were identified in most studies. However, there was no significant maintenance of medium-term effects. Despite the increased number of RCTs in recent years, they did not present high quality. Larger and more controlled trials are needed to test these hypotheses.