Effectiveness of cognitive rehabilitation based on “ARAM” program in improving executive functions of selective attention, inhibitory control and working memory in elderly people with mild cognitive impairment

Authors
Neda Nazarboland
Ameneh Tahmasi
Vahid Nejati
Shahid Beheshti University
Abstract
The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of cognitive rehabilitation, on improving the executive functions of selective attention, inhibitory control and working mwmory in elderly people with mild cognitive impairment. This experimental study was a Single Subject of type A-B, which 6 elderly (4 women and 2 men) with an average age of 62 years old were selected via purposeful convenience sampling and randomly assigned into two groups of control (n=3) and experimental (n=3). The evaluation of selective attention and inhibitory control was done using Stroop, Go/NO Go and N-back tests, and the "ARAM" rehabilitation program was presented in 10 one-hour personal sessions for each experimental group subjective. All subjective in both groups was evaluated 6 times (before, during, just after and 2 months following the intervention) and also control group were evaluated simultaneously without receiving any interventions. Using visual analysis, collected data revealed that the scores of both tests of executive functions in experimental group, were steadily increased all through intervention, while the control group scores’ did not make significant changes. Also, two-month follow-up evaluations showed a stable improvement in executive functions of the experimental group. Therefore, it can be concluded that cognitive rehabilitation based on ARAM program has improved the functions of selective attention, inhibitory control and working memory in elderly with mild cognitive impairment. As there are many documentaries suggesting possibility of leading mild cognitive impairment to more serious cognitive disabilities such as Alzheimer’s disease, such findings can confirm possibility of improving cognitive functions of elderly people with mild cognitive impairment with, with lower therapeutic costs applying the help of technology
Keywords
cognitive rehabilitation
inhibitory control
mild cognitive impairment
Selective attention
working memory
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