Diana S. Thoft

Background Analysis of video data was conducted of validated assessments with people with dementia as part of a feasibility control study comparing a lifelong learning service with other dementia services. Objective The aim was to provide a new perspective on what occurs during the assessment process when using validated measures in research and explore which strategies people with dementia use to manage their participation. Design Video recordings were made of pre‐ and postintervention assessments of people with dementia. An initial pilot analysis of 10 videos of the pre‐assessments was conducted. Setting Lifelong learning services and other dementia services situated in six municipalities in Northern Denmark took part in this study, with 55 people with dementia participating. Results The themes identified were: ‘State of mind’ and ‘Mental resources’, showing how these aspects influenced the participants' reactions and the strategies they used. Discussion The results are discussed in relation to how individual personality traits influence the assessment process and the way a person with dementia will manage the situation. Conclusion The assessment situation is complex and can be influenced by the strategies adopted by individuals with dementia as they try to manage the assessment process. Patient or Public Contribution People with dementia supported the decision‐making for the choice of validated measure used within this study.

A narrative literature review was undertaken to consider the outcome measures used in research on cognitive stimulation therapy (CST), cognitive training (CT) and cognitive stimulation (CS) interventions. This review extends findings from previous reviews by including a broad range of study methodologies, both qualitative and quantitative, and explored whether participant experiences of taking part in the research are discussed. A database search identified 1261 articles matching the search criteria, with 29 included in this review. Studies tended to use the manualised CST model, with 11 other models identified. Randomised control trials were chosen as the most used method to explore impact. Across the studies, 65 different outcome measures were used with people with dementia, and only four studies used a qualitative approach. Little information is provided on the assessment process in terms of time taken, assessor, or of the experience of the person with dementia. There is heterogeneity of measures used, within and across domains, and number, and agreement or consistency of measures would provide greater comparability across CS studies. Gaps in reporting were noted on the detail of the assessment process and the experience of people with dementia taking part in this research.