AOTA

Earn CE Credit With AJOT Articles!

Learn about tested treatment strategies by reading AJOT articles in your area of practice. Become an evidence-based practitioner and demonstrate your knowledge by passing the course exam.  Articles have been selected for their relevance to practice, fresh ideas, and strong evidence supporting treatment and the distinct value of OT.

Credit: .1 CEUs (1.25 NBCOT PDU’s/1 contact hour)

Authors

Stacy Smallfield, DrOT, OTR/L, BCG, FAOTA, is Assistant Director, Entry-Level Doctoral Program, and Associate Professor of Occupational Therapy and Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO.

Cindy Heckenlaible, MS, OTR/L, is Inpatient/ Outpatient Occupational Therapist, Avera Sacred Heart Hospital, Yankton, SD. At the time of the review, she was Graduate Student, Department of Occupational Therapy, University of South Dakota, Vermillion.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this systematic review was to describe the evidence for the effectiveness of interventions designed to establish, modify, and maintain occupations for adults with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and related neurocognitive disorders.

METHOD. Titles and abstracts of 2,597 articles were reviewed, of which 256 were retrieved for full review and 52 met inclusion criteria. U.S. Preventive Services Task Force levels of certainty and grade definitions were used to describe the strength of evidence.

RESULTS. Articles were categorized into five themes: occupation-based, sleep, cognitive, physical exercise, and multicomponent interventions. Strong evidence supports the benefits of occupation-based interventions, physical exercise, and error-reduction learning.

CONCLUSION. Occupational therapy practitioners should integrate daily occupations, physical exercise, and error-reduction techniques into the daily routine of adults with AD to enhance occupational performance and delay functional decline. Future research should focus on establishing consensus on types and dosage of exercise and cognitive interventions.

Learning Objectives

Following this course, the learner will be able to:

1)      Discuss the incidence of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and the effects of AD and related major neurocognitive disorders on occupational participation, mood and behavior

2)      Based on the current evidence, describe effectiveness of various occupational therapy-related interventions designed to enhance occupational participation for adults with Alzheimer’s disease and related major neurocognitive disorders.

3)      Explain occupational therapy’s role in in supporting persons with Alzheimer’s disease and related major neurocognitive disorders and incorporate evidence-based interventions into clinical practice

Exam questions for this course authored by Marie Morreale, OTR/L, CHT

Reference Information:

Smallfield, S., & Heckenlaible, C. (2017). Effectiveness of occupational therapy interventions to enhance occupational performance for adults with Alzheimer’s disease and related major neurocognitive disorders: A systematic review. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 71, 7105180010. https://doi.org/10.5014/ajot.2017.024752

Learning Level: Advanced

Target Audience: Occupational Therapists and Occupational Therapy Assistants

Content Focus: Category 1: Domain of OT; Category 2: OT Process: Intervention

CE Find Key Words:  Alzheimer’s disease, AD, caregivers, Neurocognitive disorders