Cognitive Interventions in Older Persons: Do They Change the Functioning of the Brain?

Table 1

Methodological quality of randomized controlled trials.

RCT	The healthy elderly						MCI			Dementia
	Valenzuela et al. 2003 [18]	Small; et al. 2006; [20]	Erickson et al. 2007 [21]	Brehmer et al. 2011 [22]	Belleville et al. 2014 [23]		Rosen; et al. 2011; [16]	Hampstead et al. 2012 [24]		Heiss; et al. 1994; [25]	Akanuma et al. 2011 [26]	Förster; et al. 2011; [27]	van Paasschen et al. 2013; [28]	Baglio; et al. 2014; [29]
Randomized	1	1	1	1	1		1	1		1	1	1	1	1
Blinded randomization	0	0	1	0	1		1	1		0	1	0	0	1
Blinded participants	0	0	0	1	1		1	1		0	0	0	0	0
Blinded outcome assessors	0	0	0	0	0		1	0		0	1	1	0	1
Baseline comparability	0	1	1	1	1		1	1		1	1	1	1	1
Loss to follow	1	1	1	1	1		1	1		1	1	0	1	1
Intention-to-treat analysis	0	1	0	0	0		1	1		0	1	1	1	0
Comparability intervention	0	0	0	1	1		1	1		1	0	1	0	1
Validity and applicability	1	1	1	1	1		1	1		1	1	1	1	1
Total	3	5	5	6	7		9	8		5	7	6	5	6
CBO classification	B	B	B	B	A2		A2	B		B	B	B	B	B

The CBO classification reflects the level of evidence. A1 is a systematic review of at least two independent randomized double blind studies of sufficient quality and size. A2 is a randomized double blind study of sufficient quality and size. B is a comparative study, which does not meet all the criteria of an A2 study. C is a noncomparative study and D is the opinion of experts (http://www.cbo.nl/).