A digital reminiscence intervention program using a time-traveling road map for community-dwelling older adults with subjective cognitive decline.

Background: Subjective cognitive decline (SCD) is a common concern among older adults in the South Korean population. Thus, non-pharmacological interventions are needed to reduce cognition, communication, and mood complaints.

Objective: This study evaluated the effects of a Roadmap Time-Traveling Intervention program (RMTI), a digital reminiscence therapy intervention, on cognitive measurements, communication, and mood in older adults with SCD.

Methods: Fifty participants were randomly assigned to the experimental or control group. Cognitive function, communication difficulties, quality of life (QoL), depression, and anxiety were assessed at baseline (T0), immediately after the intervention (T1), and four weeks post-intervention (T2). Generalized estimation equations were utilized to analyze the program's effectiveness over time (T0-T1) between groups. A repeated measures ANOVA and the Friedman/Wilcoxon signed-rank tests examined changes across the three time points (T0-T1-T2) within the experimental group. The study followed the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials guidelines.

Results: The experimental group exhibited significant improvements in the Korean version of the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE-K) scores (p < .001) and QoL (p < .001) compared with the control group: MMSE-K scores (Ⲭ² = 9.55, p = .008), communication difficulties (Ⲭ² = 8.57, p = .014), and QoL (Ⲭ² = 3.35, p = .046) improved significantly across the three time points (T0-T1-T2).

Conclusions: The RMTI effectively enhanced MMSE-K scores, reduced communication difficulties, and enhanced the QoL in older adults with SCD. This program shows promise for broader implementation in community settings for older adults with SCD.