The Effect of a Brain Training Card Game on Reducing the Risk of Dementia in the Elderly

Abstract

Background: Dementia is considered a common problem among the elderly, both the patients, their families and society. It is also important public health problems. Especially at present, there is an increasing number of patients with dementia. Objective: This research aimed to compare Mini-Mental State Examination within groups and between groups. Method: The sample group in these randomized controlled trials research was the elderly people in Hiran Ruchi Subdistrict, Thonburi District, Bangkok, total of 80 participants were selected by simple random sampling, divided into 40 in control group and 40 in experimental group. Research tools included 1) Card games, the tools used in conducting trials to stimulate brain function in terms of attention, memory, spatial relations and thinking. 2) The tools used to collect data, include general information questionnaires, Mini-Mental State Examination-Thai Version 2002 (MMSE-Thai 2002). Analysis of data with descriptive statistics, dependent t-test statistics compared within group, and independent t-test statistics compared between group. Result: The results showed that after playing the card game, the experimental group had statistical significantly higher mean score of Mini-Mental State Examination than before (MD = 6.2, 95%CI: 5.6, 6.8). After playing the card game, the experimental group had statistically significantly higher mean score of Mini-Mental State Examination than the control group (MD = 8.0, 95%CI: 7.2, 8.6) Conclusion: The brain-training card game has a positive effect on the improvement of the average preliminary cognitive performance score.