Cake doesn’t get a lot of good press these days, but a new study has suggested baking sweet treats could help dementia patients regain their memory.
According to a review published in The Cochrane Library, cognitive stimulation therapies have a beneficial effect on memory and thinking in people with dementia.
The review covered 15 randomised trials involving over 700 people with a range of dementia problems, including Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia.
Patients were involved in different activities that were designed to stimulate their thinking and memory, such as discussions, word games, music and baking.
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Their improvements were measured against other study participants who were exposed only to standard activities, such as visits from healthcare workers or watching TV.
The results were striking, with those patients receiving the stimulating activities scoring much higher on tests which rated their memory and thought processes.
Interestingly, the benefits were still being noted up to three months later, along with improvements in social interaction and communication, prompting lead author Bob Woods of Bangor University, UK, to add: “These findings are perhaps the most consistent yet for psychological interventions in people with dementia”.
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