Objective: To provide a systematic review of selected experimental studies of psychosocial treatments of behavioral disturbances in dementia. Psychosocial treatments are defined here as strategies derived from one of three psychologically oriented paradigms (learning theory, unmet needs and altered stress thresholds).Method: English language reports published or in press by December 2006 were identified by means of database searches, checks of previous reviews and contact with recognized experts. Papers were appraised with respect to study design, participants' characteristics and reporting details. Because people with dementia often respond positively to personal contact, studies were included only if control conditions entailed similar levels of social attention or if one treatment was compared with another.Results: Only 25 of 118 relevant studies met every specification. Treatment proved more effective than an attention control condition in reducing behavioral symptoms in only 11 of the 25 studies. Effect sizes were mostly small or moderate. Treatments with moderate or large effect sizes included aromatherapy, abilityfocused carer education, bed baths, preferred music and muscle relaxation training.Conclusions: Some psychosocial interventions appear to have specific therapeutic properties, over and above those due to the benefits of participating in a clinical trial. Their effects were mostly small to moderate with a short duration of action. This limited action means that treatments will work best in specific, timelimited situations. In the few studies that addressed within-group differences, there were marked variations in response. Some participants benefited greatly from a treatment, while others did not. Interventions proved more effective when tailored to individuals' preferences.

Some psychosocial interventions appear to have specific therapeutic properties, over and above those due to the benefits of participating in a clinical trial. Their effects were generally modest with an unknown duration of action. This limited efficacy suggests that treatments will work best in specific, time-limited situations, tailored to individuals' requirements. There is no preferred method to rate psychological symptoms.

Introduction Videoconferencing may help address barriers associated with poor access to post-stroke cognitive screening. However, the equivalence of videoconference and face-to-face administrations of appropriate cognitive screening tools needs to be established. We compared face-to-face and videoconference administrations of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) in community-based survivors of stroke. We also evaluated whether participant characteristics (e.g. age) influenced equivalence. Methods We used a randomised crossover design (two-week interval). Participants were recruited through community advertising and use of a stroke-specific database. Both sessions were conducted by the same researcher in the same location. Videoconference sessions were conducted using Zoom. A repeated-measures t-test, intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), Bland–Altman plot and multivariate regression modelling were used to establish equivalence. Results Forty-eight participants (26 men, Mage = 64.6 years, standard deviation ( SD) = 10.1; Mtime since stroke = 5.2 years, SD = 4.0) completed the MoCA face-to-face and via videoconference on average 15.8 ( SD = 9.7) days apart. Participants did not perform systematically better in a particular condition, and no participant variable predicted difference in MoCA performance. However, the ICC was low (0.615), and the Bland–Altman plot indicated wide limits of agreement, indicating variability between sessions. Discussion Our findings provide preliminary evidence to support the use of videoconference to administer the MoCA following stroke. However, further research into the test–retest reliability of scores derived from the MoCA is needed in this population. Administering the MoCA via videoconference holds potential to ensure that all stroke survivors undergo cognitive screening, in line with recommended clinical practice.

The effect of ECT in elderly recipients' cognition remains unclear, and further research with more critically selected methods is required. In the meantime, we recommend that clinicians regularly administer brief focused cognitive tests before, during, and after treatment to monitor progress.