Cognitive stimulation therapy (CST) is a structured, evidence-based program developed in the UK to improve cognition, social interaction, and quality of life for patients with mild to moderate dementia. CST involves 14 sessions over 7 weeks of mentally stimulating group activities focused on topics like childhood memories, current events, and food. Sessions are themed and include songs, discussions, and games to enhance memory, reasoning, and language skills. Research shows CST improves cognitive function and quality of life for those with dementia and vascular dementia.

1. COGNITIVE STIMULATION THERAPY
A STRUCTURED PROGRAMME THEME

2. BACKGROUND INFORMATION
• Cognitive skills are the skills the brain uses to think, learn, remember, give reason problem solve and communicate.
• There are a number approaches to help people with dementia improve their memory and thinking skills and to cope
with memory loss, one of these is Cognitive Stimulation Therapy (CST).
• Cognitive stimulation therapy or CST is a non-pharmacological, evidence-based, approach to treat the complex
behavioral and psychological symptoms (BPSD) seen in patients with dementia.
• BPSD can range from mood changes, disruptive behaviors, hallucinations, aggression, agitation, sleep disturbance,
motor changes, apathy, depression, and memory loss.

3. HISTORY
• CST was developed in the UK by Dr. Spector and her team.
• It is recognized by The National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence ( NICE, UK) as an evidence-
based psychosocial intervention for the management of mild to moderate dementia which helps to
improve patient confidence, cognition, social interaction, and quality of life.
• CST relies on enhancing implicit memory in patients.

4. PRINCIPLES
• The main principle of CST is to offer activities that are
• Fun
• Patient-centric
• Mentally stimulating..
• The activities selected should be meaningful to the patient and help them to enhance memory,
reasoning, and language.

5. ADMINISTRATION
• This program is offered for seven weeks duration for a total of 14 sessions.
• Patient have to be grouped. Each group consists maximum of 4-8 sessions
• For Every seven weeks they have to be programmed in a structured theme
• Each week is themed and topics covered are themed
• Childhood memories,
• Food
• Current events to activities like baking, word search, etc.
• The sessions usually start with a warm-up song, group welcome, and utilize a reality orientation board with
group information which helps to maintain continuity between the sessions.
• Participants are encouraged to provide their inputs on group activities and themes to make the sessions
personable

6. VARIATIONS OF CST
• CaRroup based theme
• Individual based theme
• Maintained CST (26 weekly sessions)
• Exercised based
• Spiritual CST
• Care giver group

7. ELIGIBILITY
• Physician confirmed diagnosis of dementia
• Available caregiver
• No physical limitations that would impact patient's participation
• Ability to communicate, socially engage for at least 45 minutes
• A score of 24 or less on the SLUMS ( Saint Louis university Mental Status Exam).

8. BENEFITS
• CST helps improve patients living with Dementia improve their language skills thus having a positive
effect on their ability to communicate.
• CST is cost effective and easy to administer.
• A study conducted to see the effect of CST on patients with vascular dementia, treatment with CST
demonstrated improvement in general cognition and short term memory
• Group based therapy helps in socialization thus helping with loneliness, despair, improving overall mood
and thus improving quality of life.
• Combination of Acetylcholine treatment ( ACH) with CST has shown greater improvement in cognition
than CST alone.

9. RESEARCH EVIDENCE
• On various research It has been studied that CST has improved the cognitive skills and quality of life

10. CONCLUSION
• It can be applied by care givers, nurses, professionals etc.
• There also Training institute providing programmes for CST called CSTTI
• It can also be used for other Mental health Disorders like
• Schizophrenia
• Depression
• Mainly for Neurotic disorders