Chart 1. Summary of papers included in the sample by author, level of evidence, description of the intervention and results.

Study	EL	Description of the intervention	Results
Intervention on different cognitive skills (including language)
Quayhagen, Quayhagen, Corbeil, Hendrix, Jackson, Snyder et al. (2000)29	I	• n (AD)= non-specific AD stage (mild to moderate). • Technique and task used: four types of intervention (cognitive stimulation, didactic counseling, support seminar group for dyads and Initial Stage Care Program). • Treatment method: individual and dyad cognitive stimulation. • Frequency and duration of the sessions: five times a week, one hour each session (cognitive stimulation). • Treatment period: eight weeks. • Work with caregivers involved: yes. • Use of associated medication: no.	Significant improvements in post-intervention results for delayed memory and verbal fluency. Improved caregiver-patient interaction. There was a decline in the control group.
Davis, Massman & Doddy (2001)26	II	• n (AD)= 37. AD stage: not specified in the study • Technique and task used: face-name association combined with spaced retrieval and attention exercises. • Treatment method: individual. • Frequency and duration of the sessions: one-hour weekly sessions. • Treatment period: five weeks. • Work with caregivers involved: no. • Use of associated medication: yes.	Significant increase for face-name association. Verbal fluency improvement observed (animals).
Cipriani, Bianchetti & Trabucchi (2006)30	III	• n (AD)= 10. AD stage: not mentioned. • Technique and task used: computer software with exercises to stimulate different cognitive skills. • Treatment method: individual. • Frequency and duration of the sessions: four times a week, with 13 to 45-minute sessions. • Treatment period: four weeks. • Work with caregivers involved: no. • Use of associated medication: yes.	Verbal fluency improvements. Significant increase in verbal production, semantic categorization, verbal understanding and phonological discrimination.
Tsantali, Economidis (2014)25	IV	• n (AD)= 1. AD stage: mild. • Technique and task used: errorless learning. Several language activities, such as semantic categorization and naming. • Treatment method: individual. • Frequency and duration of the sessions: 1stphase: four months, five times a week, three of them with direct supervision by the therapist, 90 minutes. 2ndphase: one year, three times a week with discrete supervision by the therapist, 90 minutes. 3rd, 4th and 5thphases: minimal involvement of the therapist. • Treatment period: 5 years. • Work with caregivers involved: no. • Use of associated medication: no.	Significant improvement in verbal fluency, writing, written understanding. Follow-up indicated the maintenance of the language improvements obtained.
Ávila (2003)11	IV	• n (AD)= 1. AD stage: mild. • Technique and task used: errorless learning. • Treatment method: individual and in groups. • Frequency and duration of the sessions: weekly sessions. 90 minutes for group sessions and one hour for individual sessions. • Treatment period: 22 months. • Work with caregivers involved: yes. • Use of associated medication: yes.	The reading and writing (after individual therapy) returned to the normality range. Gradual improvements in naming throughout the years. Semantic verbal fluency and animals were stable.
Abrisqueta-Gomez, Canali, Vieira, Aguiar, Ponce, Brucki et al (2004)20	IV	• n (AD)= 3. AD stage: mild to moderate. • Technique and task used: errorless learning, clue vanishing. • Treatment method: individual and in groups. • Frequency and duration of the sessions: twice a week (one for each treatment method). 90 minutes for group sessions and one hour for individual sessions. • Treatment period: 24 months. • Work with caregivers involved: no. • Use of associated medication: yes.	Improvements in phonemic fluency, understanding, and repetition but decline in semantic fluency. During the second year after the intervention, decline was verified and, in some cases, these skills were maintained. The improvements obtained did not persist through the second year, showing the progressive nature of the disease.
Oullell, Bruna & Puyuelo (2006)31	IV	• n (AD)= 1. AD stage: mild. • Technique and task used: psycho stimulation and phonoaudiological intervention. • Treatment method: group psycho stimulation and individual phonoaudiological stimulation. • Frequency and duration of the sessions: not mentioned. • Treatment period: 24 months. • Work with caregivers involved: yes. • Use of associated medication: yes.	Articulation, fluency, understanding, automatic speech and naming were stable. After two years, a decline occurred. Reading and writing were preserved over time.
Bottino, Carvalho, Alvarez, Avila, Zukauskas, Bustamante et al. (2002)19	IV	• n (AD)= 6. AD stage: mild. • Technique and task used: mnemonic assistance and errorless learning. • Treatment method: individual, in groups and at home. • Frequency and duration of the sessions: weekly sessions. Individual and at home: 40 minutes. Group sessions: one hour. • Treatment period: 22 weeks. • Work with caregivers involved: yes. • Use of associated medication: yes.	Statistically significant results were not obtained. Although not significant, there was a tendency toward improvement for cognitive and functional deficits. Maintenance of the language and writing scores was observed, as well as a reduction in the understanding scores and a slight increase for writing and naming.
Ramström (2011)32	IV	• n (AD)= 5. AD stage: mild to moderate. • Technique and task used: exercises to stimulate different skills. Computer used. • Treatment method: individual. • Frequency and duration of the sessions: four to five hours, twice a week. • Treatment period: 12 months. • Work with caregivers involved: no. • Use of associated medication: not mentioned.	Maximum scores for reading understanding and reading out loud tasks, and these results were maintained for 12 months. Non-generalized improvement and maintenance for listening comprehension, naming, syntax, repetition and writing.
Language intervention integrated into physical activities
Cott, Dawson, Sidani& Well (2002)33	I	• n (AD)= 3. AD stage: not mentioned in the study • Technique and task used: three programs (walking and talking, talking only, and no intervention). • Treatment method: individual. • Frequency and duration of the sessions: five weekly session of 30 minutes each. • Treatment period: 16 weeks. • Work with caregivers involved: yes. • Use of associated medication: not mentioned.	Significant improvement in social and global communication for the conversation group. Maintenance of social communication for the walking-and-talking group, and no effects shown for global communication.
Tappen, Williams, Barry & DiSesa (2002)34	I	• n (AD)= 15. AD stage: not mentioned. • Technique and task used: three programs (conversation, assisted walking and conversation and walking). • Treatment method: individual. • Frequency and duration of the sessions: three weekly sessions of 30 minutes each. • Treatment period: 16 weeks. • Work with caregivers involved: no. • Use of associated medication: not mentioned.	All groups showed a decline in discourse skills (number of words produced, informative units and concision). Only some participants showed a non-significant improvement; for these individuals, it was observed that the scores obtained in the "conversation" group indicated better results.
Arkin (2007)35	III	• n (AD)= 24. AD stage: mild to moderate. • Technique and task used: physical, language, and memory exercises, and voluntary activities. • Treatment method: individual. • Frequency and duration of the sessions: two sessions a week. • Treatment period: maximum of four years. • Work with caregivers involved: no. • Use of associated medication: not mentioned.	Improvement or maintenance of speech. Lower declines in verbal fluency and naming measurements over time. Higher maintenance of skills in individuals that completed two or more years of intervention.
Mahendra & Arkin (2003)36	III	n (AD = 4. AD stage: mild to moderate. • Technique and task used: physical, linguistic-cognitive and community activities. • Treatment method: not mentioned. • Frequency and duration of the sessions: two to two and a half hours. Community activities of one to two hours • Treatment period: four years. • Work with caregivers involved: no. • Use of associated medication: no.	Improvement and maintenance in discourse skills, however, this was not generalized to all participants.
Arkin (2001)37	III	• n (AD)= 11. AD stage: mild to moderate. • Technique and task used: physical exercises, language and memory stimulation. • Treatment method: not mentioned. • Frequency and duration of the sessions: twice a week • Treatment period: ten weeks. • Work with caregivers involved: no. • Use of associated medication: not mentioned.	Equivalent performances in the experimental and control groups. Significant results were not obtained on language and discourse skill tests.
Rue, Felten & Turkstra (2016)38	III	• n (AD)= 42. AD stage: mild AD. • Technique and task used: physical exercises and language stimulation. • Treatment method: sessions with a trained volunteer and an individual with dementia, with exercise and language stimulation sessions interspersed with social or volunteer outings • Frequency and duration of the sessions: twice a week, one and a half-hour session • Treatment period: first follow-up 10.65 months and second follow-up at an average of 20.55 months • Work with caregivers involved: no. • Use of associated medication: not mentioned.	Remained stable in cognitive function, mood, and physical fitness through an initial follow-up. A small subgroup that completed a second follow-up at an average of 20 months continued to perform near baseline levels.
Lexical-semantic therapy
Jelcic et al. (2014)40	I	• n (AD)= 27. AD stage: mild. • Technique and task used: activities focused on interpreting written words, sentences and stories. One group conducted these activities face to face and the other by teleconference. • Treatment method: Groups: 1) Lexical-semantic stimulation with teleconference technology. 2) Face to face lexical-semantic stimulation. 3) Non-structured cognitive stimulation. • Frequency and duration of the sessions: twice a week, one-hour sessions. • Treatment period: three months. • Work with caregivers involved: no. • Use of associated medication: no.	Improvement in language scores that measure phonemic and verbal fluency for the group that underwent stimulation with the use of teleconferencing. Follow-up not conducted.
Jelcic, Cagnin, Meneghello, Turolla, Ermani & Dam (2012)39	I	• n (AD)= 40 AD stage: mild. • Technique and task used: interpretation of isolated words, in sentences and stories. • Treatment method: small groups with four participants • Frequency and duration of the sessions: twice a week, one-hour sessions. • Treatment period: three months. • Work with caregivers involved: no. • Use of associated medication: no.	Significant improvement in language scores (naming). No improvement in the control group. Phonemic and semantic fluency improvement (control and experimental group). The follow-up indicated decline, however, performance was still superior to baseline.
Ousset, Viallard, Puel, Celsis, Démonet, Cardebat (2002)41	II	• n (AD)= 16. AD stage: not mentioned in the study • Technique and task used: narratives shown on a computer. Patients were told to produce the words which corresponded with the definition visualized on the screen. • Treatment method: not mentioned. • Frequency and duration of the sessions: weekly 45-minute sessions. • Treatment period: 16 weeks. • Work with caregivers involved: no. • Use of associated medication: yes.	Significant improvement on naming and post-intervention scores and reduction on the control group.
Rothi et al. (2009)21	III	• n (AD)= 6. AD stage: not mentioned. • Technique and task used: errorless learning. Visual stimulation associated with word. • Treatment method: individual. • Frequency and duration of the sessions: 60 minutes, four days a week. • Treatment period: 20-35 sessions. • Work with caregivers involved: no. • Use of associated medication: yes.	Significant improvements in post-intervention naming for three participants (total of six); of these individuals, two had a significant improvement on the generalization testing.
Noonan, Pryer, Jones, Burns e Ralph (2012)22	III	• n (AD)= 8. AD stage: not mentioned. • Technique and task used: errorless learning and trial and error. Images associated with word. Treatment method; individual. • Frequency and duration of the sessions: twice a week, 40-60 minutes each session. • Treatment period: five weeks. • Work with caregivers involved: no. • Use of associated medication: no.	Significant improvements in naming (errorless learning and trial and error group) and superior results to the subjects in the control group (no treatment). The follow-up indicated superior naming results relative to baseline.
Montagut, Sánchez-Valle, Castellví, Rami & Molinuevo (2010)42	IV	• n (AD)= 1. AD stage: not mentioned. • Technique and task used: images belonging to five semantic categories. Use of the written word, whenever necessary. • Treatment method: individual. • Frequency and duration of the sessions: four weekly sessions of, approximately, 15 minutes. • Treatment period: 20 sessions. • Work with caregivers involved: no. • Use of associated medication: no.	The participant with AD showed little change in naming ability over time, and a slight increase in vocabulary relative to previous results.
Face-name association
Clare, Wilson, Carter, Roth & Hodges (2002)23	III	• n (AD)= 11. AD stage: mild. • Technique and task used: mnemonic selection, cue vanishing and errorless learning. Use of photographs. • Treatment method: individual. • Frequency and duration of the sessions: not mentioned. • Treatment period: six sessions. • Work with caregivers involved: no. • Use of associated medication: yes.	Significant improvement in naming. The gains were maintained throughout the first six months. Decline after 12 months; however, scores were superior to baseline.
Bier, Linden, Gagnon, Desrosiers, Adam, Louveaux et al. (2008)18	III	• n (AD)= 15. AD stage: mild. • Technique and task used: spaced retrieval, errorless learning and cue vanishing (target methods), trial and error with explicit memory and implicit memory instructions (control methods). List of images and names. • Treatment method: individual. • Frequency and duration of the sessions: two weekly session of 45 minutes each. • Treatment period: five weeks. • Work with caregivers involved: no. • Use of associated medication: no.	The five techniques used were effective for the face-name association in the AD group.
Clare, Wilson, Carter & Hodges (2003)24	IV	• n (AD)= 1. AD stage: mild. • Technique and task used: mnemonic assistance, spaced retrieval and errorless learning. Use of photographs. • Treatment method: individual. • Frequency and duration of the sessions: for the practice at home, once a day. • Treatment period: six months. • Work with caregivers involved: no • Use of associated medication: no.	Significant improvement in face-name association and the gains were broadly maintained over time. The follow-up indicated maintenance (superior scores in relation to baseline).
Memory cards during conversation
Mcpherson, Furniss, Sdogati, Cesaroni, Tartaglini, et al. (2001)27	IV	• n (AD)= 2. AD stage: severe. • Technique and task used: mnemonic assistance. • Treatment method: conversation in pairs. • Frequency and duration of the sessions: 10 minutes of conversation. • Treatment period: 6 weeks. • Work with caregivers involved: no • Use of associated medication: no	One participant with AD showed an increase in the time spent within the topic of conversation.
Bourgeois (1993)28	IV	• n (AD)= 6. AD stage: moderate to severe. • Technique and task used: mnemonic assistance. • Treatment method: conversation in pairs. • Frequency and duration of the sessions: five minutes of conversation, three times a week. • Treatment period: not mentioned. • Work with caregivers involved: no • Use of associated medication: not mentioned. Educational level: not mentioned	There was an improvement in the number of statements within the topic, a reduction in ambiguity and in the production of unfruitful sentences. Non-generalized results.
Communicative training of caregivers of people with AD
Bourgeois, Burgio, Schulz, Beach & Palmer (1997)44	IV	• n (AD)= 7. AD stage: not mentioned • Technique and task used: caregiver training. • Treatment method: individual. • Frequency and duration of the sessions: three cycles of intervention, (each cycle) four weeks of pre-intervention, 12 weeks of intervention and 24 weeks of reevaluation. Three hours of individual workshop. • Treatment period: 16 weeks a year. • Work with caregivers involved: yes. • Use of associated medication: not mentioned.	Reduction of repetitive verbal behavior and maintenance during follow up. The control group had an increase in repetitive verbal behavior rates.
Conversational interaction
Chapman, Weiner, Rackley, Hynan & Zientz (2004)17	II	• n (AD)= 54. AD stage: mild to moderate. • Technique and task used: intervention groups combined with medication and medication only. • Treatment method: group. • Frequency and duration of the sessions: weekly of one and a half hours. • Treatment period: eight weeks. • Work with caregivers involved: no. • Use of associated medication: yes.	Non-significant scores for discourse relevance (cognitive intervention and medication intervention groups). Decline in the medication intervention group.
Instrumental communicative activity of daily living
Perilli, Lancioni, Singh. O'Reilly, Sigafoos, Cassano et al. (2012)43	IV	• n (AD)= 4. AD stage: moderate. • Technique and task used: computer aid. • Treatment method: individual. • Frequency and duration of the sessions: once or twice a day. • Treatment period: 50 sessions. • Work with caregivers involved: no. • Use of associated medication: yes.	Increase in the average of independent phone calls made. The average dialogue time per session varied across the participants from five to six minutes.

EL: evidence level; AD: Alzheimer's disease.