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The objective was to evaluate the effects of a multicomponent dyadic intervention on the cognitive functioning of people with dementia living at home in a randomized controlled trial. People with dementia and their family caregivers (n = 111) were randomly assigned to 8 home-based sessions including physical exercise and support or a minimal intervention consisting of monthly written information bulletins and monthly phone calls. Memory, executive functioning (EF), and attention were assessed at baseline, and after 3 (postmeasurement) and 6 months (follow-up). Data were analyzed by using generalized estimating equations (GEE). A small, significant effect was found on attention. No effects were found on memory and EF. Finding only a small significant effect might be explained by the ineffectiveness of the intervention, but also by moderate treatment adherence or a lack of room for improvement because half of the people with dementia were already receiving care in a day care facility.
Prick and Scherder are with the Department of Clinical, Neuro- & Developmental Psychology and the EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research, Faculty of Beahavioural and Movement Sciences, VU University, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. De Lange is with Research Centre Innovations in Care, Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences, Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Twisk is with the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics and the EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Pot is with the Department of Clinical, Neuro- & Developmental Psychology and the EMGO institute for Health and Care Research, Faculty of Beahavioural and Movement Sciences, VU University, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Program on Aging, Institute on Mental Health and Addiction, Utrecht, The Netherlands; and School of Psychology, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia.