The Effects Of Cognitive Training And Acupoint Massage On Cognitive Functions Of The Elderly With Mild Cognitive Impairment

Objectives:To explore and compare the effects of cognitive training, acupoint massage and cognitive training combining with acupoint massage on cognitive functions of the community-dwelling older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI).Methods:This study was an experimental study.180older adults with MCI were selected from a community in Changsha City and were randomly assigned to four groups, three intervention groups and one control group. The control group received routine care of the commnity, while the intervention groups received cognitive training, acupoint massage or cognitive training combining with acupoint massage based on routine care of the community, respectively. Cognitive functions of the four groups were measured prior to training, and at the end of the3rd,6th month using Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) and Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). SPSS16.0was applied to establish the database, and repeated measures ANOVA was used to compare the effects of cognitive training, acupoint massage and cognitive training combining with acupoint massage on cognitive functions of older adults with MCI.Results:(1) The baseline data of the180older adults with MCI showed that the scores of MMSE and MoCA were26.66±1.78and21.29±2.23, respectively. The scores of the seven cognitive domains of MoCA were2.77±1.02(visuospatial/executive subscale),2.48±0.71(naming subscale),5.03±1.00(attention subscale),2.56±0.63(language subscale),0.66±0.71(abstract subscale),2.02±1.41(delayed recall subscale) and5.75±0.57(orientation subscale), respectively.(2) Repeated measures ANOVA revealed that cognitive training and acupoint massage had significant main effect, time effect as well as interaction effect with time on scores of MMSE and MoCA (P<0.01).(3) LSD test showed that, compared with the control group, the mean scores of MMSE and MoCA in cognitive training group, acupoint massage group and cognitive training combining with acupoint massage group were significantly increased (P<0.01); Compared with cognitive training group or acupoint massage group alone, the mean scores of MMSE and MoCA in cognitive training combining with acupoint massage group were significantly improved (P<0.01); The mean scores of MMSE and MoCA in cognitive training group had no significant differences with those in acupoint massage group (P>0.05). After intervention, the scores of MMSE and MoCA in intervention groups had improved, while those in the control group had declined.Conclusions:(1) There were different levels of damages in many cognitive domains in community-dwelling older adults with MCI, such as delayed recall, visuospatial/executive function and abstract.(2) Cognitive training, acupoint massage or cognitive training combining with acupoint massage could all significantly improve cognitive functions of community-dwelling older adults with MCI.(3) The effects of cognitive training combining with acupoint massage on cognitive functions of community-dwelling older adults with MCI were better than those of cognitive training or acupoint massage alone. There were no differences between the effects of cognitive training and acupoint massage on cognitive functions of community-dwelling older adults with MCI.