Effect of Board Games with Mobile Applications on Cognition in Older Adults with Mild Cognitive Impairment: A Quasi-Experimental Study.
Orranuch Chusri, Renu Kwanyuen, Wannee Deoisres and 1 others
PMID 42058543WHAT IT FOUND
Older adults with mild cognitive impairment who joined board-game sessions, MCI education and app practice scored higher on a cognitive test than controls who got education and app access.
Because groups were assigned by clinic, not randomized, this is promising, not proof.
Key findings
01The programme group had a mean MoCA score of 23.73, compared with 20.05 in the control group.
02The programme group reported fewer everyday cognitive lapses at week 8, with a mean CFQ-Thai score of 23.14 versus 43.86 in controls.
03The programme group had higher post-intervention MCI knowledge scores than controls (13.55 versus 11.55).
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The groups were assigned by health centre rather than randomised, so centre-level differences could explain the result. Only 44 participants were studied, all from two centres in one province, so the result may not apply to other settings. Participants knew which group they were in, although assessors were blinded, which can affect self-reported outcomes. The program combined board games, MCI education and a mobile app, so the study cannot show which component produced the change. Follow-up was only 8 weeks, so long-term benefit is unknown. The paper did not report a daily-activity performance measure, only MoCA, knowledge and CFQ scores.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the MoCA improvement as proof that board games alone work. The intervention group also received MCI education and app access, the groups were assigned by clinic rather than randomized, and outcomes were measured only at 8 weeks.