AUTHOR=Jung Young Hee , Park Sang-Cheol , Lee Jee Hee , Kim Myong Jong , Lee Seunghoon , Chung Su Jin , Moon Ji Yeon , Choi Young Hi , Ju Jieun , Han Hyun Jeong , Lee So Young 

TITLE=Effect of internet-based vs. in-person multimodal interventions on patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease: a randomized, cross-over, open-label trial

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Public Health

VOLUME=Volume 11 - 2023

YEAR=2023

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/public-health/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1203201

DOI=10.3389/fpubh.2023.1203201

ISSN=2296-2565

ABSTRACT=Objective: We aimed to investigate the effect of Internet-based and in-person cognitive interventions on cognition, mood, and activities of daily living (ADL) on patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and examine whether Internet-based intervention is as effective as the in-person intervention.
Methods: We recruited 52 patients with probable mild AD, of whom 42 completed the trial. We randomly divided participants into intervention and control groups at a 1:1 ratio and statistically compared the neuropsychological test results of the two groups. In addition, patients in the intervention group were randomly assigned to a four-week Internet-based or in-person intervention, with subsequent crossover to the other group for four weeks. We statistically analyzed and compared the neuropsychological test scores between Internet-based and in-person interventions.
Results: Compared with the control group, the intervention group (Internet-based and in-person) showed significantly improved profile in cognition (P<0.001), depression (P<0.001), anxiety (P<0.001) and ADL (P<0.001). In addition, the effect of the Internet-based intervention on cognition (P=0.918) and depression (P=0.282) was not significantly different from that of the in-person intervention. However, in the Beck Anxiety Inventory (P=0.009) and Seoul Instrumental Activity of Daily Living (P=0.023), in-person intervention was more effective than Internet-based intervention. 
Conclusions: This study suggests that both types of cognitive intervention (in-person and Internet-based) may be viable supplementary treatments along with approved pharmacological therapy. In terms of anxiety and ADL, the effect of the in-person interventions may be more effective than the-Internet based interventions.