Abstract
The increase in life expectancy and the impact of ageing-related pathologies on older adults’ quality of life have led to a growing interest in physiological to pathological ageing trajectories. Cognitive decline is one of the main dimensions impacting the cost of ageing in healthcare systems, especially when it follows the trajectory toward dementia. Consequently, identifying different profiles of cognitive decline is relevant for developing, evaluating, implementing, and personalizing care and effective treatments aimed toimprove life expectancies and older adults’ quality of life. This is also in line with the most recent evidence on the effectiveness of psychosocial interventions in different types and stages of cognitive decline. However, despite this evidence, very little informationis available on their appropriateness, thus leading to a lack of interventions tailored to the individual characteristics, preferences and unique circumstances. To provide personalized and effective care, it is necessary to identify the typology of most responsive people to an intervention based on specific characteristics (i.e., socio-demographic, clinical-anamnestic, cognitive, affective). In line with the issues mentioned above, this project aims to i) analyze the effectiveness and sensitivity of a diagnostic protocol characterized by multicomponent analysis- and assess the trajectory and the individual expression of the cognitive decline (from healthy ageing to dementia). To this aim, cognitive and behavioral patterns, lifestyles, life experiences, medical and psychological conditions will be assessed via a multi-component protocol, adopting standardized instruments and robust statistical procedures; ii) provide a reasoned model to deliver personalized and effective care. To this aim, a multi-method approach integrating quantitative and qualitative methods will be capitalized. The specific goal of Bologna uniti s The second goal of this study will be to provide a rational model for assessing and evaluating psychosocial interventions (such as CST), which can be used to deliver personalized and effective care. The approach to this novel and underexplored research builds on previous research and expertise within our consortium in clinical research through the involvement in several national and international projects, such as the SIDECAR project (https://sidecarproject.eu). We will apply a multi-method approach that integrates quantitative and qualitative methods to rigorously carry out the multicentre study. Based on the use of the protocol (above mentioned) and qualitative studies, we will identify a core set of reliable measures which will be tested pre-post CST. Quantitative data, along with semistructured interviews, will allow us to understand the functional components of CST and unravel the people who are most responsive to the intervention. The derived model concerning CST (i.e., the psychosocial intervention with the best supporting evidence) can also be applied for evaluating the degree of appropriateness of other psychosocial interventions, thus delivering more personalized (i.e. attuned to patients’ characteristics) and effective interventions. Overall, this study will assess the multicomponent aspects involved in older adults’ cognitive decline and the appropriateness of an evidence-based intervention for mild-moderate dementia. Prospectively, the protocol derived from this research project can be adopted in clinical settings by providing flexible a instrument to finely evaluate progression towards dementia and clarify the role of individual characteristics on treatment outcomes. The results will consist of a core set of reliable measures which can inform about the appropriateness of psychosocial interventions, thus helping professionals to refer patients to the best intervention for them. By tuning the dimensions of assessment and adapting the ones concerning the interventions, we aim to develop a proper and personalized path of care.
Results achieved
During the initial phase, a systematic review of the literature on cognitive stimulation interventions for individuals with mild-to-moderate dementia was conducted. The review was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42024520857) in March 2024 and carried out according to PRISMA guidelines. The literature search was performed across five databases (PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and APA PsycInfo). Screening and eligibility assessment were completed at the beginning of 2025, resulting in the inclusion of 6 studies. Data extraction, synthesis, and manuscript preparation were finalized by February 2025. Based on the findings of the systematic review and the work of partners from the University La Sapienza Roma, an experimental research protocol was developed to investigate potential cognitive and non-cognitive predictors of response to cognitive stimulation. The protocol was submitted for ethical evaluation and received approval from the Ethics Committee in March 2025. Participant recruitment was conducted in collaboration with AUSL Romagna, involving cognitive stimulation groups operating in Faenza, Lugo, and Ravenna. Pre-intervention assessments began in March 2025. The assessment included standardized neuropsychological testing, self-report questionnaires, caregiver-reported measures, and informed consent procedures. Post-intervention assessments were completed in June 2025. A total of 51 participants were enrolled. Statistical analyses were conducted between July 2025 and January 2026, including pre–post comparisons, correlational analyses, and variance analyses aimed at exploring predictors of treatment response. During this phase, results were disseminated through conference presentations, and additional manuscripts are currently in preparation. PUBLICATIONS - Forte, L., Despini, G., Quartarone, M., Calabrese, L., Brigiano, M., Trolese, S., ... & Chattat, R. (2025). Cognitive and non-cognitive predictors of response to cognitive stimulation interventions in dementia: a systematic reviewaiming for personalization. Behavioral Sciences, 15(8), 1069. - Forte, G., Favieri, F., Corbo, I., Chirico, I., Chattat, R., Vedova, A. M. D., ... & Casagrande, M. (2025). Evaluating the Effectiveness of Cognitive Interventions for Healthy and Mild Cognitive Impairment Adults: A ComprehensiveUmbrella MetaAnalysis. Journal of Aging Research, 2025(1), 4397025. - Forte, L., Quartarone, M., Forte G., Corbo I., Ottoboni, G., Casagrande, M., Chattat, R. (2026).Who benefits most from Cognitive Stimulation Therapy? Cognitive and psychosocial predictors of response in people with cognitive impairments (In Preparation). CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS - Corbo, I., Forte, G., Favieri, F., Chirico, I., Chattat, R., Della Vedova, A. M., Pecchinenda, A., & Casagrande, M. (2024, 18-19 novembre). Valutazione dell’efficacia degli interventi cognitivi negli anziani sani e con mild cognitive impairment: Una meta-analisi di meta-analisi. Convegno “I Centri per i Disturbi Cognitivi e le Demenze e la Gestione Integrata della Demenza”, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Roma, Italia. - Forte, L., Despini, G., Quartarone, M., Calabrese, L., Brigiano, M., Annini, A., Trolese, S., Chirico, I., & Chattat, R. (2025, 27-29 marzo). Towards the development of personalized cognitive stimulation interventions in people with dementia: A systematic review. 25° Congresso Nazionale Associazione Italiana di Psicogeriatria (AIP), Padova, Italia.Dettagli del progetto
Responsabile scientifico: Rabih Chattat
Strutture Unibo coinvolte:
Dipartimento di Psicologia "Renzo Canestrari"
Coordinatore:
"Sapienza" Universita' Di Roma(Italy)
Contributo totale Unibo: Euro (EUR) 82.219,00
Durata del progetto in mesi: 24
Data di inizio
05/10/2023
Data di fine:
28/02/2026
