The purpose of the study is to examine the effect of computer-assisted stimulating activity on cognitive function in elders with dementia. Preserving cognitive ability is critical for maintaining activities of daily living and staying socially connected with others. Multi-sensory activities are known to stimulate a person’s cognitive processes, reduce the risk of dementia, and diminish boredom and excessive unstructured time in elders. However, activities can be frustrating, uninteresting, and meaningless unless they fit the competencies, preferences, and needs of persons with dementia. Individualizing activities is important to make them meaningful and increase participation and satisfaction with the activity. Advances in computer technology provide the capacity to systematically individualize multi-sensory stimulating activities to persons’ cognitive and functional ability while meeting elders’ needs for enjoyment and possibly providing relief for caregivers. This research study uses computers to provide elders with dementia with multi-sensory stimulation that can be repeated on demand, interactive with value-free instant feedback, and modified in speed and level of cognitive challenges. This pilot study is developing a standardized decision-making algorithm (dosage, frequency, and content of stimulation) and practice guidelines for tailoring computer-assisted stimulating activities in elders with dementia.
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Tak et al. (2005) studied this question.