Communication Difficulty and Relevant Interventions in Mild Cognitive Impairment

Abstract

Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) represents a critical point for controlling cognitive decline. Patterns of communication difficulty have been observed in patients with MCI and warrant examination and management. The present systematic review examined (1) characteristics of communication difficulty in MCI by focusing on two domains: expressive and receptive communication, and (2) cognitive interventions that addressed communication difficulties in individuals with MCI. Of the 28 observational studies we reviewed, expressive and receptive communications were generally impaired in individuals with MCI, compared to their healthy counterparts. However, only one of seven interventions effectively improved communication related outcomes. We finished the paper with a discussion about how neuroplasticity influences communication abilities in individuals with MCI to inform the future development of interventions for communication difficulty.

Mild cognitive impairment in the elderly Relationship between communication and functional capacity

“…38 , 39 In the scientific literature, the communication complaints of elderly people with MCI are rarely explicit and are frequently associated with memory impairment, such as difficulties in naming and remembering words. 9 The compensatory communicative capacities are evidenced when applying a questionnaire on communication, and the result demonstrates the need for independence in daily life communication. 14…”

“…The results showed that there were no significant differences between the groups for naming, although an association was found with an increase in age. 40 On the other hand, naming difficulties have been reported in the elderly with MCI, 9 as well as problems with different components of semantic cognition, especially memory. 41 These changes are due to failure in the executive process of semantic activation control; as the disease develops, semantic knowledge also begins to degrade.…”

“…The discourse of these elders contains semantic paraphasias, that is, the substitution of one word for another, and lexical access failures, defined as difficulties in recognizing and naming figures and symbols, decreasing access to information and hampering understanding of more complex subjects. 9 Many of the caregivers or family members reported that the elder became confused when trying to name some commonplace objects, use the term “escapes my memory,” or end up replacing the terms with others that work, thus demonstrating their compensatory abilities.…”

“…In a systematic review on the communication of the elderly with MCI, it was demonstrated that elderly people have difficulties in expressive and receptive communication. 9 …”

Fatores associados à independência de comunicação entre idosos da comunidade

“…Ao considerar que a dependência de comunicação é um importante indicador da capacidade cognitiva do idoso 14 , que sua identificação precoce é indispensável na prevenção de incapacidades funcionais nessa faixa etária 3 e que há uma escassez de estudos com essa temática, os objetivos dessa pesquisa foram descrever a média total de independência geral e por domínios de comunicação dos idosos da comunidade e verificar as variáveis sociodemográficas e de saúde associadas à maior média de independência de comunicação entre os idosos.…”