A Rapid Scoping Review on Operationalizing Cognitive and Social Activities in Research on Dementia Risk Reduction

Engagement in cognitive and social activities can potentially preserve cognitive abilities, which makes their promotion a promising avenue for dementia risk reduction. However, insight into how to adequately measure engagement in these activities is a necessary precursor. A rapid scoping review was performed to search relevant articles on PubMed. The aim was to obtain an initial understanding of (a) how cognitive and social activities are measured in research that investigates protective activities against dementia and (b) to explore to what extent this aligns with the operationalization in preventive interventions. The findings show that across 58 studies, questionnaires were mostly used to measure engagement in cognitive and social activities. A wide variety of items and themes was observed across studies, including: arts and crafts; clubs, groups, and communities; exercising; games and puzzles; going out; household tasks; learning and education; making music; multimedia usage; reading; socializing; work/volunteering; writing. There were considerable variations in the number and content of items, ulitized response scales, recall periods, and methods to compose scores. Additionally, preventive interventions stongly focused on psychoeducation and (computerized) cognitive training, which limitedly reflect the activities operationalized in questionnaires.Many researchers investigate the protective effects of cognitive or social activities against dementia but measure and promote these concepts completely differently. This results in fragmented insights into what activities are protective. Clarifying precisely what these concepts entail, and which aspects are relevant to measure would support the development of measurement instructions as well as interventions to promote relevant activities.Keywords: Dementia, Cognition, Social Participation, Cognitive Activities, Social Activities