COGNITIVE INTERVENTIONS FOR THE TREATMENT OF INSOMNIA OR POOR QUALITY OF SLEEP IN OLDER PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND META-ANALYSIS

Abstract

Background: Aging and its pathologies, particularly sleep problems, are increasingly affecting industrialized societies. This study aims to determine the effectiveness of different cognitive interventions for the treatment of insomnia or poor sleep quality in community-dwelling older people. Methodology: A systematic review was carried out from November 2023–July 2024 according to the standards of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses in the databases. The following databases were consulted: Pubmed, Web of Science, and ClinicalTrials.gov. The studies included patients with sleep problems or insomnia over 60 years of age. To evaluate the quality of the studies, the Critical Appraisal Skills Program Spanish (CASPe) guide was used. Results: Nine clinical trials with intervention groups and control groups belonging to the last 10 years were selected. They were analyzed, and the results were verified via questionnaires, scales, sleep diaries, and objective measures. In general, the implementation of the interventions improved the quality of sleep and symptoms of insomnia. Conclusions: Cognitive interventions have been found to be safe and useful for the treatment of insomnia and poor sleep quality in older people. Furthermore, they are feasible in terms of cost effectiveness and can be easily implemented by primary care teams