Nonpharmacological Strategies for Patients With Early-Stage Dementia or Mild Cognitive Impairment: A 10-Year Update.

As the incidence and prevalence of early-stage Alzheimer's disease and mild cognitive impairment increases worldwide, gerontological researchers continue to examine the efficacy and effectiveness of strategies to help patients and caregivers live with the disease. Although pharmacological treatments remain the focus of much of the research, nonpharmacological strategies and approaches to care continue to gain ground as effective means of improving the health-related quality of life for this patient population. The current commentary summarizes the state of the science based on a series of integrative and systematic reviews undertaken by the International Dementia Scholars Collaborative as a 10-year update to a previous white paper. Selected topics from this previous white paper (e.g., support groups, nutrition, exercise, cognitive training, falls) as well as new topics (e.g., mind-body, advance care planning, driving safety) are discussed, and recommendations for future research are provided.