背　景：隨著失智長者人口數的增加，失智症照護在台灣已備受關切，特別是對於行為症狀的處理，以及認知功能的促進。
目　的：本研究旨在檢視個別學習療法對失智症長者提升認知功能與改善神經精神症之成效。
方　法：採類實驗前後測研究設計，中部僅有的二所失智專科病房，隨機分派為實驗組與比較 組, 參與的長者分別為23 與21位。實驗組施以個別學習療法，每週兩次，每次30 分 鐘，連續施行三個月。比較組僅一般的常規活動，無學習療法。於活動前及12週之 後，以簡易式認知功能評量表（MMSE）評量認知情形；另以中文版神經精神病徵評量 表（CNPI）每週評量長者的神經精神病徵。以獨立t檢定（或曼－惠特尼U考驗法）、卡 方檢定（或費雪精確性檢定）及廣義估計方程式（GEE）進行資料分析。
結　果：經12 週的處置後，實驗組較比較組在認知功能得分顯著提昇（p < .001），神經精神症狀 總分顯著減少（p < .001）；而在幻聽、奇異行為、憂鬱、表情淡漠、不安、睡眠障礙 等症狀在第7 週時，表現顯著改善。
結 論／ 實務應用：個別學習療法對提升失智長者的認知功能與改善神經精神症狀有相當之成效，值得未來應用。

Background: The increasing number of elderly people affected by dementia in Taiwan hasmade dementia care a crucial issue of concern. This issue is particularly important in terms of the proper management of behavioral symptoms and improvement of the cognitive functions of those affected by this disease.
Purpose: This study examined the effects of individualized learning therapy on cognition and neuropsychiatric symptoms among elderly people with dementia.
Methods: A quasi-experimental, pretestYposttest research designwas adopted.We recruited elderly peoplewith dementia at the only two institutions for elderly patients with dementia in Central Taiwan. These institutions were assigned randomly as the experimental or control group, with totals of 23 and 21 participants, respectively. The participants in the experimental group received individualized learning therapy for 30 minutes twice weekly for 3 months. The comparison group received usual care only. The cognitive function and neuropsychiatric symptoms of all participants were measured using the Mini-Mental Status Examination (MMSE) before the start of and immediately after the 12-week intervention and the Chinese version of the Neuropsychiatric Inventory (CNPI), whichwas administered once per week during the intervention. Independent t tests (or MannY Whitney U tests), chi-square tests (or Fisher’s exact tests), paired t test, and generalized estimating equations were used for data analysis.
Results: Participants in the experimental group had significantly higher MMSE scores (p G .01) and lower CNPI scores (p G .01) than their comparison group peers after the intervention. Furthermore, the neuropsychiatric symptoms in the experimental group such as hallucinations, bizarre behavior, depression, apathetic expression, irritability, and sleep disorder had significantly improved by the seventh week.
Conclusions/Implications for Practice: Individualized learning therapy may be an effective approach to improve cognitive function and reduce neuropsychiatricsymptoms amongolder people with dementia. Therefore, future clinical application iswarranted.