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A biobehavioral home-based intervention and the well-being of patients with dementia and their caregivers: the COPE randomized trial
Gitlin LN, Winter L, Dennis MP, Hodgson N, Hauck WW.. JAMA, 2010-09-01
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Results Of 284 dyads screened, 270 (95%) were eligible and 237 (88%) randomized. At 4 months, compared with controls, COPE patients had less functional dependence (adjusted mean difference, 0.24; 95% CI, 0.03-0.44; P = .02; Cohen d = 0.21) and less dependence in instrumental activities of daily living (adjusted mean difference, 0.32; 95% CI, 0.09-0.55; P = .007; Cohen d = 0.43), measured by a 15-item scale modeled after the Functional Independence Measure; COPE patients also had improved engagement (adjusted mean difference, 0.12; 95% CI, 0.07-0.22; P = .03; Cohen d = 0.26), measured by a 5-item scale. Conclusion Among community-living dyads, a nonpharmacologic biobehavioral environmental intervention compared with control resulted in better outcomes for COPE dyads at 4 months.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
APA 7th
Gitlin, L. N., Winter, L., Dennis, M. P., Hodgson, N., & Hauck, W. W. (2010). A biobehavioral home-based intervention and the well-being of patients with dementia and their caregivers: the COPE randomized trial. JAMA. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2010.1253
Vancouver
Gitlin LN, Winter L, Dennis MP, Hodgson N, Hauck WW. A biobehavioral home-based intervention and the well-being of patients with dementia and their caregivers: the COPE randomized trial. JAMA. 2010. doi:10.1001/jama.2010.1253. PMID: 20810376.
BibTeX
@article{gitlin2010-20810376,
author = {Gitlin, L. N. and Winter, L. and Dennis, M. P. and Hodgson, N. and Hauck, W. W.},
title = {{A biobehavioral home-based intervention and the well-being of patients with dementia and their caregivers: the COPE randomized trial}},
journal = {JAMA},
year = {2010},
doi = {10.1001/jama.2010.1253},
pmid = {20810376},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2010.1253}
}
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Key findings
- Results Of 284 dyads screened, 270 (95%) were eligible and 237 (88%) randomized.
- At 4 months, compared with controls, COPE patients had less functional dependence (adjusted mean difference, 0.24; 95% CI, 0.03-0.44; P = .02; Cohen d = 0.21) and less dependence in instrumental activities of daily living (adjusted mean difference, 0.32; 95% CI, 0.09-0.55; P = .007; Cohen d = 0.43), measured by a 15-item scale modeled after the Functional Independence Measure; COPE patients also had improved engagement (adjusted mean difference, 0.12; 95% CI, 0.07-0.22; P = .03; Cohen d = 0.26), measured by a 5-item scale.
- Conclusion Among community-living dyads, a nonpharmacologic biobehavioral environmental intervention compared with control resulted in better outcomes for COPE dyads at 4 months.
Why it matters
A nonpharmacologic biobehavioral environmental intervention improved functional independence and engagement in people with dementia at 4 months compared with controls. This is a randomized controlled trial, but it addresses daily functioning and well-being rather than curing or preventing Alzheimer's disease.
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Study details
- Study designrandomized controlled trial
- Effect size62.7%; 44.9%
- Evidence strengthHigh
How this study scored 72/100
Published in a top-tier journal, and it is a randomised controlled trial. Scored zero for sample size because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 10 / 10 | Tier 1 — top-tier general journal (JAMA) |
| Journal's citation record | 4 / 4 | JAMA: journal h-index 1,011 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 11 / 12 | A randomised controlled trial |
| Strength of evidence | 5 / 5 | Rated “high” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 1 / 5 | 2010 — within 20 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 2 / 3 | Effect reported as a number, without an interval or test |
| Studied in people | 3 / 3 | Studied in people (pubmed indexes it as a clinical or observational study) |
| Randomised / blinded | 1 / 2 | Randomised (as stated in the record) |
| Times cited | 6 / 7 | Cited 370 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 4 / 5 | 20.6 citations a year over 18 year(s) since 2010 |
| Impact for its field and year | 4 / 6 | Cited 10.6× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 3 / 6 | Cited by 15 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 2 / 4 | Cited 48 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 3 / 4 | Last-listed author Walter W. Hauck: h-index 70 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 1 / 3 | Thomas Jefferson University: institution h-index 825 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 0 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 1 institution(s) in 1 country — scores zero (affiliation lists can be incomplete) |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 20810376) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 72 / 100 | — |
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