Abstract
Background: Dementia in the elderly is a common, debilitating condition. Residents in long-term care facilities present with a number of challenging behaviors. Pharmacological management is not always helpful. Alternative approaches are needed. Methods: Multisensory stimulation (MSS) was developed to address sensory stimulation imbalance. In this pilot 24-week single-blinded, randomized controlled study, the authors examined the effect of MSS when given for 12 weeks in either 1 or 3 sessions per week with a control group. Results: There is a trend for better outcomes as measured by daily observation scales (DOS) or Clinical Global Impression-Improvement (CGI-I) with the increase of sessions of treatment per week. This became statistically significant at weeks 8 (DOS) and 12 (CGI). This difference continued for 12 additional weeks after treatment ended. Conclusions: MSS may be a useful addition to the care of elderly patients with dementia. A larger double-blind randomized control study is required.
Keywords: multisensory stimulation, dementia, elderly, treatment
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Contributor Information
Roumen V. Milev, Department of Psychiatry, Queen's University, Kingston, milevr@providencecare.ca .
Tracey Kellar, Rideaucrest Home, Kingston.
Marilyn McLean, Rideaucrest Home, Kingston.
Vicky Mileva, McMaster University, Hamilton (VM), Ontario, Canada.
Veb Luthra, Department of Psychiatry, Queen's University, Kingston.
Shiela Thompson, Rideaucrest Home, Kingston.
Linda Peever, Rideaucrest Home, Kingston.
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