Cognitive rehabilitation and sensory functioning in old people with mild cognitive impairment

Abstract

Introduction: We present the results obtained after the application of a cognitive rehabilitation protocol based on sensory functioning of elderly. Methodology: this is a pre-post study, in which a group of 4 people over 55 years with mild cognitive impairment participated for 5 weeks, 3 times a week, 60 minutes each session in a cognitive rehabilitation protocol. It assesses the cognitive domains, independence in instrumental activities of daily living and caregiver´s perceived burden. Activities are developed in five stages proposed by Ross and Burdick, under the principles of sensory integration. Results: there are evidence about the maintaining of the attention and the executive function in two of the participants and better cognitive performance in the other two people in the areas of orientation, memory, perception, and rational operations, as in the performance of instrumental activities of daily living. Discussion: In Colombia there are few cognitive rehabilitation programs for older people, the evidence shows that these programs generate results in daily independence, relationships and the social and family environment. It is necessary to increase the protocol execution time because it could show best performance in the domains described above. There is little academic production around the use of sensory integration principles in cognitive rehabilitation programs, which justifies the work by occupational therapists in research on this topic.