The effectiveness of reality orientation in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most frequent cause of dementia. This work aims to assess the effectiveness of reality orientation (RO), a traditional, extensively documented cognitive enhancement technique, when combined with acetylcholinesterase inhibitors in the treatment of AD. Fourteen patients with AD having mild to moderate dementia receiving standard treatment with donepezil were randomly assigned to control and treatment groups. Patients in the treatment group were submitted to weekly RO sessions for 6 months. Cognitive outcomes were assessed based on scores in the Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer's Disease (CERAD) neuropsychological battery and the Clock Drawing Test (CDT). Mean CERAD neuropsychological battery, Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), and CDT scores improved in the treatment group and worsened in the control group. A number of CERAD neuropsychological battery and MMSE scores were statistically significant. Our findings suggest that RO is a valuable long-term complementary intervention for dementia in AD.