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60/100

✓ Peer-reviewed alzhub usefulness score 60 out of 100. Treatments

Topic: Amyloid, tau and blood-test diagnosis

Background Reality orientation therapy combined with cholinesterase inhibitors has not been evaluated in patients with Alzheimer's disease. Method We randomly assigned 79 of 156 patients treated with donepezil to receive a reality orientation programme. Caregivers of the treatment group were trained to offer the programme at home 3 days a week, 30 min/day, for 25 consecutive weeks, and were invited to stimulate and involve patients in reality-based communication.

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APA 7th

Onder, G., Zanetti, O., Giacobini, E., Frisoni, G. B., Bartorelli, L., Carbone, G., et al. (2005). Reality orientation therapy combined with cholinesterase inhibitors in Alzheimer's disease: randomised controlled trial. The British journal of psychiatry : the journal of mental science. https://doi.org/10.1192/bjp.187.5.450

Vancouver

Onder G, Zanetti O, Giacobini E, Frisoni GB, Bartorelli L, Carbone G, et al. Reality orientation therapy combined with cholinesterase inhibitors in Alzheimer's disease: randomised controlled trial. The British journal of psychiatry : the journal of mental science. 2005. doi:10.1192/bjp.187.5.450. PMID: 16260821.

BibTeX

@article{onder2005-16260821,
  author  = {Onder, G. and Zanetti, O. and Giacobini, E. and Frisoni, G. B. and Bartorelli, L. and Carbone, G. and Lambertucci, P. and others},
  title   = {{Reality orientation therapy combined with cholinesterase inhibitors in Alzheimer's disease: randomised controlled trial}},
  journal = {The British journal of psychiatry : the journal of mental science},
  year    = {2005},
  doi     = {10.1192/bjp.187.5.450},
  pmid    = {16260821},
  url     = {https://doi.org/10.1192/bjp.187.5.450}
}

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Key findings

Method We randomly assigned 79 of 156 patients treated with donepezil to receive a reality orientation programme.
Caregivers of the treatment group were trained to offer the programme at home 3 days a week, 30 min/day, for 25 consecutive weeks, and were invited to stimulate and involve patients in reality-based communication.
Results The treatment group showed a slight improvement in Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores (mean change +0.2, s.e.=0.4) compared with a decline in the control group (mean change -1.1, s.e.=0.4; P=0.02).
Similarly for the Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale--Cognition (treatment group mean change +0.4, s.e.=0.8; control group -2.5, s.e.=0.8; P=0.01).

Why it matters

In this randomized trial, 79 of 156 patients taking donepezil for Alzheimer's disease received a reality orientation programme at home for 25 weeks, and the treatment group showed a slight MMSE improvement compared with a decline in controls. This suggests a possible small benefit from combining reality orientation with cholinesterase inhibitors, but it does not indicate a cure or prevention.

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Study details

Participants156
Evidence strengthLow

How this study scored 60/100

Published in a peer-reviewed journal, and it is a randomised controlled trial. Scored zero for effect reported because the record does not state it.

Component	Points	Why
Journal tier	7 / 10	Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (The British journal of psychiatry : the journal of mental science)
Journal's citation record	3 / 4	The British Journal of Psychiatry: journal h-index 376 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29)
Study design	11 / 12	A randomised controlled trial (from PubMed type “Randomized Controlled Trial”)
Strength of evidence	1 / 5	Rated “low” in our summary
Peer-review validation	10 / 10	Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal.
How recent	1 / 5	2005 — older than 20 years, still counted
Sample size	2 / 4	156 participants
Effect reported	0 / 3	No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0)
Studied in people	3 / 3	Studied in people (participant count stated)
Randomised / blinded	1 / 2	Randomised (as stated in the record)
Times cited	5 / 7	Cited 151 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10)
Citations per year	2 / 5	6.6 citations a year over 23 year(s) since 2005
Impact for its field and year	2 / 6	Cited 1.7× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI)
Cited by studies here	2 / 6	Cited by 8 other studies in this library
Still being cited	1 / 4	Cited 6 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex)
Senior author's track record	4 / 4	Last-listed author Roberto Bernabei: h-index 113 (OpenAlex, whole career)
Institution's track record	1 / 3	University of Geneva: institution h-index 1,049 (OpenAlex)
Multi-centre collaboration	2 / 3	OpenAlex lists 5 institution(s) in 2 countries
Indexed in PubMed	2 / 2	Indexed in PubMed (PMID 16260821)
Free to read	0 / 2	Behind a paywall — scores zero
Total	60 / 100	—

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