Introduction: The aging of the population increases the scientific interest in identifying and treating the stages preceding dementia. The concept of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) includes patients with demonstrated cognitive deficits but who are able to maintain adequate functionality. There are no pharmacological measures capable of slowing the progression to dementia in a percentage of these patients, although cognitive stimulation (CS) may be a promising treatment.
Methodology: A double-blind randomized clinical trial was conducted including 38 MCI patients who were followed up using neuropsychological and functionality tests for one year. CS was provided to the intervention group.
Results: The statistical analysis showed significant differences in the quantitative results of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) test between intervention and control groups. Furthermore, we detected a non-significant positive trend in the neuropsychological evaluation but not in the functionality scores.
Conclusions: Dementia is expected to triple its prevalence by 2050, making the study of pre-dementia stages necessary. Despite not achieving significance, CS therapy may be a useful tool in this situation. The MoCA is a useful score for the diagnosis and monitorization of these patients.
