Reminiscence therapy serves as an optional nursing care strategy in attenuating cognitive impairment, anxiety, and depression in acute ischemic stroke patients

Efficacy of reminiscence therapy with different media on cognitive function and negative moods for older adult patients who had a stroke: protocol of a network meta-analysis

INTRODUCTION

Stroke is a common cause of death and disability in the older adult and increases the risk and severity of cognitive impairment, which is a factor for long-term death among stroke survivors. Some studies have focused on the effects of reminiscence therapy with different media on stroke survivors. It is currently unclear which is the best medium. This protocol aims to deal with this problem by using a network meta-analysis.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

Published randomised controlled trials will be included if reminiscence therapy plus usual care was applied in older adult patients who had a stroke in the experimental group and usual care was applied in the control group. Six electronic databases will be searched from their inception to August 2023, including the Cochrane Library, CINAHL, PubMed, Web of Science, Medline and Embase. The media of reminiscence therapy may include (but not restricted to) old photos, music or movies. Outcomes will be cognitive function and negative moods. Study selection, data extraction and quality assessment will be performed independently by two reviewers. The risk of bias (RoB) of the included studies will be evaluated in accordance with the Cochrane Collaboration's RoB tool. The evidence quality will be measured based on the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation. To compare the efficacy of reminiscence therapy with different media, standard pairwise meta-analysis and Bayesian network meta-analysis will be conducted. The probabilities of intervention for all outcomes will be ranked based on the surface under the cumulative ranking curve.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

Ethical approval is not required for reviewing published studies. The findings will be submitted to a peer-reviewed journal for review and publication to provide important evidence for clinicians and guideline developers to determine interventions for older adult patients who had a stroke.

PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER

CRD42023447828.

Network meta-analysis of non-pharmacological interventions for cognitive impairment after an ischemic stroke

Objective

This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of non-pharmacological interventions in improving cognitive function in patients with ischemic stroke through network meta-analysis.

Methods

We searched databases including the Cochrane Library, PubMed, EmBase, and Web of Science for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on non-pharmacological treatments to improve cognitive impairment following ischemic stroke. The publication date was up to 15 March 2023. Due to the insufficiency of included studies, supplementary searches for high-quality Chinese literature were performed in databases such as CNKI, WanFang Data, and VIP Chinese Science Journals Database. Two reviewers independently went through the literature, extracted data, and assessed the risk of bias in the included studies using the risk of bias assessment tool recommended by the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions 5.1.0. By utilizing R 4.2.3 RStudio software and the GeMTC package, a Bayesian network meta-analysis was conducted to assess the improvement in Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) scores under a variety of non-pharmacological interventions.

Results

A total of 22 RCTs involving 2,111 patients and 14 different non-pharmacological treatments were included. These interventions were transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), reminiscence therapy (RT), remote ischemic conditioning (RIC), physical fitness training (PFT), intensive patient care program (IPCP), moderate-intensity continuous training + high-intensity interval training (MICT + HIIT), medium intensity continuous training (MICT), grip training (GT), acupuncture, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), cognitive rehabilitation training (CRT), high pressure oxygen (HPO), moxibustion, and repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS). The results of the network meta-analysis indicated that rTMS had the highest likelihood of being the most effective intervention for improving MMSE and MoCA scores.

Conclusion

The evidence from this study suggests that rTMS holds promise for improving MMSE and MoCA scores in patients with cognitive impairment following ischemic stroke. However, further high-quality research is needed to confirm and validate this finding.

Nursing intervention and quality feedback guided by stress system theory in neurological function recovery and post-traumatic growth of patients with acute primary cerebral hemorrhage

OBJECTIVE

To explore the effect of nursing intervention and quality feedback guided by stress system theory on neurological function recovery and post-traumatic growth in patients with cerebral hemorrhage.

METHODS

120 patients with cerebral hemorrhage admitted to our hospital from October 2022 to November 2023 were selected, 47 patients in the control group received routine medical care, and 73 patients in the observation group were added nursing intervention measures under the guidance of stress system theory on this basis. The effects of the intervention were evaluated by Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI), self-rating Anxiety Scale (SAS), self-rating Depression Scale (SDS), Barthel index (BI) and Chinese scale of clinical neurological impairment in stroke patients (CSS).

RESULTS

After intervention, the PTGI score in the observation group was significantly higher than that in the control group (p < 0.05). The SAS and SDS scores were significantly lower than those of the control group (p < 0.001), indicating that the nursing intervention effectively alleviated the anxiety and depression of patients. At the same time, the BI index of the observation group was significantly increased, and the CSS score was significantly decreased (p < 0.001), indicating that the patients' self-care ability of daily life and the recovery level of neurological function were significantly improved.

CONCLUSION

Nursing intervention and quality feedback strategy under the guidance of stress system theory can effectively improve the neurological recovery ability and post-traumatic growth level of patients with cerebral hemorrhage, and has a significant effect on improving the psychological state and quality of life of patients.

The impact of reminiscent music therapy and robot-assisted rehabilitation on older stroke patients: a protocol for a randomized controlled trial

Background

Stroke is the main disease that causes the burden of neurological disease, leading to upper limb dysfunction and affecting their self-care abilities. Robot-assisted rehabilitation therapy has been gradually used in the rehabilitation of upper limb function after stroke. However, it would be beneficial to explore auxiliary interventions such as reminiscent music therapy, a combination of music and reminiscent, to relieve negative emotions and post-stroke fatigue and improve rehabilitation outcomes. This protocol aims to evaluate the effectiveness of reminiscent music therapy combined with robot-assisted rehabilitation in older stroke patients.

Methods

This trial is a single-blind, three-arm randomized controlled trial. Older stroke patients with upper limb dysfunction will be recruited. Participants will be randomly assigned to receive usual rehabilitation treatment and care, usual rehabilitation treatment and care plus robot-assisted rehabilitation and reminiscent music therapy, or usual rehabilitation treatment and care plus robot-assisted rehabilitation. Robot-assisted rehabilitation will be conducted by rehabilitation doctors five times per week for 3 weeks. In experimental group 1, a reminiscent song list will be played for patients. The primary outcome is activities of daily living. All outcomes will be evaluated at baseline and in the week immediately post-intervention.

Discussion

We are conducting the first randomized controlled trial on the effects of reminiscent music therapy combined with robot-assisted rehabilitation in older stroke patients. It is expected that this study, if proven effective in improving the activities of daily living in older stroke patients with upper limb dysfunction, will provide evidence-based rehabilitation strategies for medical staff.Clinical Trial Registration: ChiCTR2200063738.

Reminiscence therapy relieves anxiety, depression and boosts spiritual well-being in both stroke patients and their spouse caregivers: a randomized, controlled study : Reminiscence therapy in stroke patients/caregivers

AIMS

Reminiscence therapy (RT) is a common nursing care program to ameliorate psychological disorders, while its application in stroke patients and their spouse caregivers is rare. Thus, this randomized, controlled study intended to investigate the influence of RT on anxiety, depression, and spiritual well-being in these individuals.

METHODS

Totally, 162 couples of stroke patients and their spouse caregivers were randomly assigned to receive RT (N = 81) and control care (CC) (N = 81) by pairs 4 times per month for 6 months. Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale for anxiety (HADS-A) and depression (HADS-D), Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy - Spiritual Well-being scale (FACIT-Sp) were evaluated at month (M)0, M1, M3, and M6.

RESULTS

In stroke patients, RT reduced HADS-A score at M3 (P = 0.043) and M6 (P = 0.020), and HADS-D score at M6 (P = 0.034), while increased FACIT-Sp score at M1 (P = 0.023), M3 (P = 0.010), and M6 (P = 0.004) compared to CC. Meanwhile, RT induced greater ameliorations in HADS-A (P = 0.049) and FACIT-Sp (P < 0.001) scores from M0 to M6 versus CC, but less in HADS-D score (P = 0.076). In the aspect of spouse caregivers, RT deceased HADS-A score at M1 (P = 0.042), M3 (P = 0.001), and M6 (P < 0.001), lowered HADS-D score at M3 (P = 0.015) and M6 (P = 0.001), but elevated FACIT-Sp score at M1 (P = 0.042), M3 (P < 0.001), and M6 (P < 0.001) compared to CC. Noteworthily, RT facilitated the improvements of HADS-A (P < 0.001), HADS-D (P = 0.010), and FACIT-Sp (P < 0.001) scores from M0 to M6 versus CC.

CONCLUSIONS

RT relieves anxiety, depression and boosts spiritual well-being in both stroke patients and their spouse caregivers.

Reminiscent music therapy combined with robot-assisted rehabilitation for elderly stroke patients: a pilot study

BACKGROUND

Although some studies suggest that robot-assisted technology can significantly improve upper limb function in stroke patients compared to traditional rehabilitation training, it is still necessary to incorporate an auxiliary intervention to alleviate negative emotions, thereby alleviating the post-stroke fatigue and encouraging patients to actively respond to rehabilitation. However, the effect of the auxiliary intervention is unknown.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the effect of reminiscent music therapy combined with robot-assisted rehabilitation in elderly patients with upper limb dysfunction.

METHODS

From November 2022 to March 2023, elderly patients with upper limb dysfunction after stroke were assigned to one of three groups, with group A receiving usual rehabilitation treatment and care plus robot-assisted rehabilitation and reminiscent music therapy, group B receiving usual rehabilitation treatment and care plus robot-assisted rehabilitation, and group C receiving only usual rehabilitation treatment and care. Thirty patients completed this study, with 10 participants in each group. Activities of daily living, self-esteem, rehabilitation self-efficacy, positive emotion and upper limb function were measured before and after the intervention. One-way analysis of variance, paired-sample t-test, Kruskal-Wallis H test, Wilcoxon signed rank sum test and Chi-square test were used to analyze the data.

RESULTS

According to the intragroup comparisons, in the three groups, all outcome measurements were significantly higher than those at baseline (all P < 0.05). After the intervention, the differences in the self-management effectiveness, rehabilitation self-efficacy, and positive emotion score were statistically significant among the three groups (all P < 0.05). In accordance with the results of Bonferroni analysis, the self-management effectiveness score of group A was significantly higher than that of Group B and Group C (all P < 0.05). The rehabilitation self-efficacy score of group A was significantly higher than that of Group B and Group C (P < 0.05). The positive emotion score of group A was significantly higher than that of Group B and Group C (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Reminiscent music therapy combined with robot-assisted rehabilitation is a promising approach to improve rehabilitation self-efficacy and positive emotion, which is evidence that reminiscent music therapy may be an effective auxiliary intervention to improve rehabilitation outcomes.

The effect of virtual reminiscence therapy on depression and anxiety in patients with gastric cancer undergoing chemotherapy

PURPOSE

To determine the effect of virtual reminiscence therapy on depression and anxiety in patients with gastric cancer (PwGC) undergoing chemotherapy.

METHODS

In this quasi-experimental study, we randomly allocated 152 PwGC who met the inclusion criteria as 1:1 ratio to control (N = 76) and intervention (N = 76) groups. The patients in the control group received routine post-chemotherapy care, while those in the intervention group received reminiscence therapy over the phone in addition to routine care. The participants of both groups completed Beck's Depression Inventory and Zung's Self-rating Anxiety Scale before the study, 6 weeks after the beginning of the study, and 3 months after the intervention.

RESULTS

Although the mean depression score before chemotherapy indicated moderate depression in both groups, the reminiscence therapy group showed a significant reduction in the depression score compared to the control group (P < 0.001) following intervention. The mean anxiety scores indicated mild to moderate anxiety in both groups, which was later placed within the normal range, there was a significant difference between the two groups. Intra-group comparison revealed that the mean depression and anxiety scores decreased significantly in the reminiscence therapy group (P < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

This study indicated that virtual reminiscence therapy can decrease anxiety and depression in PwGC undergoing chemotherapy. Therefore, it can be a supportive psychological method for these patients.

Effects of group reminiscence interventions on depressive symptoms and life satisfaction in older adults with intact cognition and mild cognitive impairment: A systematic review

OBJECTIVE

Reminiscence interventions have been extensively used to improve the psychological health of people with dementia. However, there is uncertainty about the effectiveness of group reminiscence interventions for older adults with intact cognition and mild cognitive impairment. Based on the large number of older adults and strained health care resources in China, we conducted a systematic review of the evidence on the effectiveness of group reminiscence interventions for older adults with intact cognition or mild cognitive impairment.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Five English databases were searched from inception to 21 August 2022. The quality of the included articles was assessed by using the Cochrane Risk of Bias Scale or Criteria (2020) and the Australian Evidence-Based Health Care Centre (2020). Data related to study and intervention characteristics were extracted.

RESULTS

Twenty-four articles were included, of which eight were quasiexperimental studies and sixteen were randomized controlled studies. The overall study quality was high, but most studies did not blind the participants. Group reminiscence interventions were beneficial in improving depressive symptoms and life satisfaction in older adults with intact cognition or mild cognitive impairment, but no valid conclusions could be drawn about the effect on quality of life.

CONCLUSIONS

Group reminiscence interventions are an effective type of psychological intervention to improve the psychological health of older people. In addition, group reminiscence interventions are simple and easy to implement and can be considered a routine care activity to meet the spiritual needs of cognitively intact and mildly cognitively impaired older people.

Pharmacological, non-invasive brain stimulation and psychological interventions, and their combination, for treating depression after stroke

BACKGROUND

Depression is an important morbidity associated with stroke that impacts on recovery, yet is often undetected or inadequately treated.

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the benefits and harms of pharmacological intervention, non-invasive brain stimulation, psychological therapy, or combinations of these to treat depression after stroke.

SEARCH METHODS

This is a living systematic review. We search for new evidence every two months and update the review when we identify relevant new evidence. Please refer to the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews for the current status of this review. We searched the Specialised Registers of Cochrane Stroke, and Cochrane Depression Anxiety and Neurosis, CENTRAL, MEDLINE, Embase, five other databases, two clinical trials registers, reference lists and conference proceedings (February 2022). We contacted study authors.

SELECTION CRITERIA

Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) comparing: 1) pharmacological interventions with placebo; 2) non-invasive brain stimulation with sham stimulation or usual care; 3) psychological therapy with usual care or attention control; 4) pharmacological intervention and psychological therapy with pharmacological intervention and usual care or attention control; 5) pharmacological intervention and non-invasive brain stimulation with pharmacological intervention and sham stimulation or usual care; 6) non-invasive brain stimulation and psychological therapy versus sham brain stimulation or usual care and psychological therapy; 7) pharmacological intervention and psychological therapy with placebo and psychological therapy; 8) pharmacological intervention and non-invasive brain stimulation with placebo and non-invasive brain stimulation; and 9) non-invasive brain stimulation and psychological therapy versus non-invasive brain stimulation and usual care or attention control, with the intention of treating depression after stroke.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

Two review authors independently selected studies, assessed risk of bias, and extracted data from included studies. We calculated mean difference (MD) or standardised mean difference (SMD) for continuous data, and risk ratio (RR) for dichotomous data, with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). We assessed heterogeneity using the I² statistic and certainty of the evidence according to GRADE.

MAIN RESULTS

We included 65 trials (72 comparisons) with 5831 participants. Data were available for: 1) 20 comparisons; 2) nine comparisons; 3) 25 comparisons; 4) three comparisons; 5) 14 comparisons; and 6) one comparison. We found no trials for comparisons 7 to 9. Comparison 1: Pharmacological interventions Very low-certainty evidence from eight trials suggests pharmacological interventions decreased the number of people meeting the study criteria for depression (RR 0.70, 95% CI 0.55 to 0.88; P = 0.002; 8 RCTs; 1025 participants) at end of treatment and very low-certainty evidence from six trials suggests that pharmacological interventions decreased the number of people with inadequate response to treatment (RR 0.47, 95% CI 0.32 to 0.70; P = 0.0002; 6 RCTs; 511 participants) compared to placebo. More adverse events related to the central nervous system (CNS) (RR 1.55, 95% CI 1.12 to 2.15; P = 0.008; 5 RCTs; 488 participants; very low-certainty evidence) and gastrointestinal system (RR 1.62, 95% CI 1.19 to 2.19; P = 0.002; 4 RCTs; 473 participants; very low-certainty evidence) were noted in the pharmacological intervention than in the placebo group. Comparison 2: Non-invasive brain stimulation Very low-certainty evidence from two trials show that non-invasive brain stimulation had little to no effect on the number of people meeting the study criteria for depression (RR 0.67, 95% CI 0.39 to 1.14; P = 0.14; 2 RCTs; 130 participants) and the number of people with inadequate response to treatment (RR 0.84, 95% CI 0.52, 1.37; P = 0.49; 2 RCTs; 130 participants) compared to sham stimulation. Non-invasive brain stimulation resulted in no deaths. Comparison 3: Psychological therapy Very low-certainty evidence from six trials suggests that psychological therapy decreased the number of people meeting the study criteria for depression at end of treatment (RR 0.77, 95% CI 0.62 to 0.95; P = 0.01; 521 participants) compared to usual care/attention control. No trials of psychological therapy reported on the outcome inadequate response to treatment. No differences in the number of deaths or adverse events were found in the psychological therapy group compared to the usual care/attention control group. Comparison 4: Pharmacological interventions with psychological therapy No trials of this combination reported on the primary outcomes. Combination therapy resulted in no deaths. Comparison 5: Pharmacological interventions with non-invasive brain stimulation Non-invasive brain stimulation with pharmacological intervention reduced the number of people meeting study criteria for depression at end of treatment (RR 0.77, 95% CI 0.64 to 0.91; P = 0.002; 3 RCTs; 392 participants; low-certainty evidence) but not the number of people with inadequate response to treatment (RR 0.95, 95% CI 0.69 to 1.30; P = 0.75; 3 RCTs; 392 participants; very low-certainty evidence) compared to pharmacological therapy alone. Very low-certainty evidence from five trials suggest no difference in deaths between this combination therapy (RR 1.06, 95% CI 0.27 to 4.16; P = 0.93; 487 participants) compared to pharmacological therapy intervention and sham stimulation or usual care. Comparison 6: Non-invasive brain stimulation with psychological therapy No trials of this combination reported on the primary outcomes.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

Very low-certainty evidence suggests that pharmacological, psychological and combination therapies can reduce the prevalence of depression while non-invasive brain stimulation had little to no effect on the prevalence of depression. Pharmacological intervention was associated with adverse events related to the CNS and the gastrointestinal tract. More research is required before recommendations can be made about the routine use of such treatments.

Effects of reminiscence therapy combined with memory specificity training (RT-MeST) on depressive symptoms in older adults: a randomized controlled trial protocol

BACKGROUND

Geriatric depression has become a serious public health problem, and reduced autobiographical memory and increased overgeneral memory, as the main cognitive markers of depression, are not only associated with current depressive symptoms but also associated with the onset and course of depression, which can lead to a range of harms. Economic and effective psychological interventions are urgently needed. The aim of this study is to confirm the effectiveness of reminiscence therapy combined with memory specificity training in improving autobiographical memory and depressive symptoms in older adults.

METHODS

In this multicentre, single-blind, three-arm parallel randomized controlled study, we aim to enrol 78 older adults aged 65 years or older with a score of ≥ 11 on the Geriatric Depression Scale, and participants will be randomly assigned to either a reminiscence therapy group, a reminiscence therapy with memory specificity training group or a usual care group. Assessments will be conducted at baseline (T0) as well as immediately post-intervention (T1) and 1 (T2), 3 (T3) and 6 (T4) months post-intervention. The primary outcome measure is self-reported depressive symptoms, measured using the GDS. Secondary outcome measures include measures of autobiographical memory, rumination, and social engagement.

DISCUSSION

We believe that the intervention will play a positive role in improving autobiographical memory and depressive symptoms in older adults. Poor autobiographical memory is a predictor of depression and a major cognitive marker, and improving autobiographical memory is of great significance in alleviating depressive symptoms in older people. If our program is effective, it will provide a convenient and feasible strategy for further promoting healthy ageing.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ChiCTR2200065446.

Interventions for improving psychosocial well-being after stroke: A systematic review

BACKGROUND

Up to one third of all stroke patients suffer from one or more psychosocial impairments. Recognition and treatment of these impairments are essential in improving psychosocial well-being after stroke. Although nurses are ideally positioned to address psychosocial well-being, they often feel insecure about providing the needed psychosocial care. Therefore, we expect that providing nurses with better knowledge to deliver this care could lead to an improvement in psychosocial well-being after stroke. Currently it is not known which interventions are effective and what aspects of these interventions are most effective to improve psychosocial well-being after stroke.

OBJECTIVE

To identify potentially effective interventions - and intervention components - which can be delivered by nurses to improve patients' psychosocial well-being after stroke.

METHODS

A systematic review and data synthesis of randomized controlled trials and quasi experimental studies was conducted. Papers were included according to the following criteria: 1) before-after design, 2) all types of stroke patients, 3) interventions that can be delivered by nurses, 4) the primary outcome(s) were psychosocial. PubMed, Embase, PsychInfo, CINAHL and Cochrane library were searched (August 2019-April 2022). Articles were selected based on title, abstract, full text and quality. Quality was assessed by using Joanna Briggs Institute checklists and a standardized data extraction form developed by Joanna Brigss Institute was used to extract the data.

RESULTS

In total 60 studies were included, of which 52 randomized controlled trials, three non-randomized controlled trials, four quasi-experimental studies, and one randomized cross-over study. Nineteen studies had a clear psychosocial content, twenty-nine a partly psychosocial content, and twelve no psychosocial content. Thirty-nine interventions that showed positive effects on psychosocial well-being after stroke were identified. Effective intervention topics were found to be mood, recovery, coping, emotions, consequences/problems after stroke, values and needs, risk factors and secondary prevention, self-management, and medication management. Active information and physical exercise were identified as effective methods of delivery.

DISCUSSION

The results suggest that interventions to improve psychosocial well-being should include the intervention topics and methods of delivery that were identified as effective. Since effectiveness of the intervention can depend on the interaction of intervention components, these interactions should be studied. Nurses and patients should be involved in the development of such interventions to ensure it can be used by nurses and will help improve patients' psychosocial well-being.

FUNDING AND REGISTRATION

This study was supported by the Taskforce for Applied Research SIA (RAAK.PUB04.010). This review was not registered.

Effects of reminiscence therapy on psychological outcome among older adults without obvious cognitive impairment: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Introduction

Reminiscence therapy has been a high-benefit and low-cost measure of psychosocial intervention for older adults in recent years. It has attracted much attention in the intervention study of older adults without obvious cognitive impairment. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of reminiscence therapy on psychosocial outcomes among older adults without obvious cognitive impairment and analyze the divergences of different intervention programs (form, duration, and setting) on outcomes.

Methods

We searched the commonly used databases and used RevMan 5.4 in the meta-analysis (PROSPERO-ID: CRD42022315237). All eligible trials used the Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool and the Effective Public Health Practice Project quality assessment tool to identify the quality and determine the bias risk grade.

Results

Twenty-seven studies were included, involving 1,755 older adults. Meta-analysis showed that reminiscence therapy has a significant effect on both depression and life satisfaction. Group reminiscence played a significant role in improving life satisfaction. Depression symptoms were not affected by the intervention duration (P = 0.06), while life satisfaction was significantly improved after more than 8 weeks of intervention (P < 0.00001). Intervention settings drove differences in depressive symptoms (P = 0.02), and the effect size of the community was larger.

Conclusion

Reminiscence therapy can significantly reduce depressive symptoms and improve life satisfaction. There are different effects of reminiscence therapy in different intervention schemes on psychological outcomes among older adults. More well-designed trials with large sample sizes and long-term follow-ups are necessary to confirm and expand the present results.

Systematic review registration

https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=315237, identifier: CRD42022315237.

The Efficacy of Reminiscence Therapy in Cancer-Related Symptom Management: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

BACKGROUND

At present, simple reminiscence has been widely used in the field of neurocognitive disorders, life review/life review therapy has been widely used in the field of cancer, and both simple reminiscence and life review/life review therapy are suitable for psychological disorders such as depression and anxiety. However, the efficacy of reminiscence in treating cancer-related symptom has not been fully assessed.

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the effect of reminiscence therapy (RT) on relieving cancer-related symptoms such as anxiety and depression in cancer survivals.

METHODS

China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), VIP database, Wanfang Data Knowledge Service Platform, China Biomedical Database, PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, EBSCO, Scopus, and Ovid databases were searched. To collect clinical randomized controlled trials (RCT) on RT and cancer-related studies published from the establishment of the database to October 05, 2021. Two researchers independently evaluated the articles that met the inclusion criteria, meta-analysis was performed using RevMan5.4 software.

RESULTS

A total of 20 RCTs published in 2010 to 2021 were included, with a total of 1853 cancer patients. Meta-analysis results showed that the anxiety scale (HADS-A and HAMA and SAS) and depression scale (HADS-D and HAMD and SDS) scores of the RT group were significantly lower than those of the control group (HADS-A: P = .0002; HAMA: P < .00001; SAS: P = .0010; HADS-D: P = .01; HAMD: P < .00001; SDS: P = .0001). Meta-analysis results showed that RT can improve overall quality of life of cancer patients of RT group to a certain extent hope (P < .00001). Meta-analysis results showed that the scores on the hope and dignity were significantly increased, and the difference were statistically significant (P < .001).

CONCLUSION

This review indicates that RT has significant efficacy on cancer-related symptoms such as anxiety and depression. RT for cancer survivals can effectively improve quality of life, self-hope, and self-esteem. The findings of this meta-analysis can provide direction for future symptom management research.

Reminiscence therapy care program as a potential nursing intervention to relieve anxiety, depression, and quality of life in older papillary thyroid carcinoma patients: A randomized, controlled study

Objective

Reminiscence therapy (RT) ameliorates psychological problems and quality of life in cancer patients. However, no study reports its effect on older papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) patients. This study intended to investigate the effect of the RT-care program (CP) on anxiety, depression, quality of life, and survival in older PTC patients.

Methods

Eighty-six postoperative older PTC patients were enrolled and randomly assigned to RT-CP group (N = 44) and usual (U)-CP group (N = 42) as a 1:1 ratio for a 6-month intervention. Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and Quality of Life Questionnaire-Core 30 (QLQ-C30) scores were assessed at baseline, month (M)1, M2, M4, and M6.

Results

HADS and QLQ-C30 scores at baseline were not different between two groups. Additionally, HADS-anxiety score at M6 (p = 0.029), and HADS-depression score at M2 (p = 0.030), M4 (p = 0.029), M6 (p = 0.012) were reduced in RT-CP group versus U-CP group. Meanwhile, anxiety and depression rates from M1 to M6 were slightly decreased in RT-CP group versus U-CP group but did not reach statistical significance. Furthermore, depression severity at M6 was reduced in RT-CP group versus U-CP group (p = 0.049). Besides, QLQ-C30 global health status was increased at M2 (p = 0.023) and M6 (p = 0.033), QLQ-C30 function score was elevated at M2 (p = 0.040) and M4 (p = 0.035), while QLQ-C30 symptom score was decreased at M2 (p = 0.046) in RT-CP group versus U-CP group. Moreover, disease-free survival and overall survival were not different between two groups.

Conclusion

RT-CP may be a potential intervention for ameliorating anxiety, depression, and quality of life in older PTC patients.

Reminiscence therapy is a feasible care program for improving cognitive function, anxiety, and depression in recurrent acute ischemic stroke patients: a randomized, controlled study

OBJECTIVE

Reminiscence therapy provides benefits among first-episode acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients and their caregivers. This study intended to further compare the effect of reminiscence therapy plus usual care (RTUC) and usual care (UC) on cognitive function, anxiety, and depression among recurrent AIS patients.

METHODS

Totally, 160 recurrent AIS patients were enrolled and randomized in a 1:1 ratio into the RTUC group (N = 81) and UC group (N = 79), then a 12-month corresponding intervention was conducted in each group. Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) were evaluated on discharge (M0), at month (M) 3, M6, M9, and M12 after discharge.

RESULTS

MMSE scores at M6 (27.0 ± 1.6 vs. 26.3 ± 2.3, P = 0.031) and M12 (27.0 ± 1.7 vs. 26.1 ± 2.4, P = 0.009) were elevated, while cognitive impairment rate at M12 (29.2% vs. 45.7%, P = 0.042) and cognitive impairment severity at M12 (P = 0.029) were declined in RTUC group compared to UC group. Meanwhile, the HADS-anxiety scores at M9 (5.7 ± 3.1 vs. 6.9 ± 4.0, P = 0.046) and M12 (5.6 ± 2.7 vs. 7.0 ± 4.3, P = 0.024), anxiety rate at M12 (22.2% vs. 38.2%, P = 0.039) and anxiety severity at M12 (P = 0.018) were declined in RTUC group compared to UC group. Besides, the HADS-depression score at M12 (5.7 ± 3.1 vs. 6.8 ± 3.3, P = 0.043) was decreased in RTUC group compared to UC group, but depression rate and severity were not different between the two groups at each visit point (all P > 0.05).

CONCLUSION

RTUC program elevates cognitive functions and alleviates mental problems in recurrent AIS patients.

Reminiscence therapy-based care program serves as an optional nursing modality in alleviating anxiety and depression, improving quality of life in surgical prostate cancer patients

PURPOSE

Reminiscence therapy is reported to attenuate the psychological disorders in cancer patients, such as colorectal and lung cancer patients. However, relevant report on surgical prostate cancer patients is scarce. This study put forward a reminiscence therapy-based care program (RTCP + UC) combing reminiscence therapy with usual care (UC), and aimed to evaluate the impact of RTCP + UC on anxiety, depression, quality of life and survival in surgical prostate cancer patients.

METHODS

Totally, 108 prostate cancer patients receiving surgical resection were enrolled, who were subsequently randomized and allocated to the RTCP + UC group (N = 55) and UC group (N = 53) at a 1:1 ratio. Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and QLQ-C30 were assessed at month M0, M3, M6, M9 and M12 during the intervention period. After intervention, patients were followed up for another 24 months to calculate disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS).

RESULTS

RTCP + UC decreased HADS-anxiety score at M9 and M12, declined HADS-depression score at M6, M9 and M12, reduced depression rate and the severity level of depression at M12, while did not affect these issues at other time points. Meanwhile, RTCP + UC enhanced the QLQ-C30 global health status score at M3, M6, M9 and M12, but did not influence the QLQ-C30 function score and QLQ-C30 symptom score at any time points. Meanwhile, RTCP + UC had no effect on the accumulating DFS and OS of surgical prostate cancer patients.

CONCLUSION

RTCP + UC serves as an optional nursing modality in alleviating anxiety and depression, improving quality of life in surgical prostate cancer patients.

Proposing a novel care program: reminiscence therapy involved care for anxiety, depression, and quality of life in postoperative cervical cancer patients

BACKGROUND

Reminiscence therapy (RT) relieves mental disorders and improves quality of life (QoL) in some cancer survivors, but in postoperative cervical cancer patients, its effect is unclear. This study aimed to assess the impact of reminiscence therapy involved care (RTIC) and usual care (UC) on anxiety, depression, QoL, and survival in postoperative cervical cancer patients.

METHODS

In this randomized control study, 152 eligible postoperative cervical cancer patients were randomized as 1:1 ratio into RTIC (N = 76) and UC (N = 76) groups: the former received routine care and RT, while the latter only received routine care for 12 months. Anxiety, depression, and QoL were evaluated from baseline (month (M) 0) to M12, respectively. Patients were continuously followed up to M36 for overall survival (OS) calculation.

RESULTS

HADS-Anxiety score from M6 to M12 was decreased; both HADS-Depression score from M9 to M12 and depression rate at M12 were reduced in RTIC group compared with UC group (all P < 0.05). QLQ-C30 global health status score at M6 and M12, as well as QLQ-C30 function score at M12, was increased in RTIC group compared with UC group (all P < 0.05). However, QLQ-C30 symptom score at each visit and OS exhibited no difference between the two groups. From sub-group analysis, RTIC disclosed a distinct effect on patients whose age ≥ 50 years but not on those < 50 years.

CONCLUSION

RTIC reduces anxiety (partly) and depression and improves QoL in postoperative cervical cancer patients, especially in old patients.