The effect of memory and attention rehabilitation to decrease of Memory deficits in Older Adults with Alzheimer Disease

Dementia caused by Alzheimer''s disease, cognitive problems among the elderly is one of the most chronic, psychological and economic effects of that on the patient and the family This study examines the effects of memory and attention rehabilitation as a non-biological and new approach in the treatment of Alzheimer''s disease, on the reduction of memory deficits. This was a quasi-experimental study of single-subject designs and AB time series with a control group and the group was set 8 patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer''s disease were selected and divided into two groups.The study contained 14 sessions. Experimental group had 12 sessions (2 sessions per week) for 45 minutes to an hour. In order to match the subjects the test of MMSE and GDS-15 was used. To check the results, subject to each of 4 sessions (sessions 1, 4, 8 and 12) by the retailer - sensible measures of memory and learning WMS-O associations were evaluated. Statically analysis was done by visual inspection of graphed data, effect size and improvement percent for individuals and groups. The analysis of data showed that memory functions in the paired patients and groups before the intervention was similar, but after procedures experimental patients showed increasing in level of functions and show significant effect size in experimental group (d= 1.22-3.17) rather than control group (0.62-0.88), and significant improvement percent in memory functions. Consequently, the hypothesis of this study memory and attention rehabilitation decrease the memory function in elders with Alzheimer’s disease, such hypothesis was confirmed. By combining the two important areas of cognitive rehabilitation in patients undergoing a wide range of components has been more favorable results can be achieved Key word: Alzheimer’s disease, memory rehabilitation, attention rehabilitation, elderly, cognitive rehabilitation.