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Research on treating neuropsychiatric symptoms of advanced dementia with non-pharmacological strategies, 1998–2008: a systematic literature review

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 July 2009

Karan S. Kverno ,
Betty S. Black ,
Marie T. Nolan  and
Peter V. Rabins
Karan S. Kverno*
Affiliation:
The University of Maryland School of Nursing, Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.A.
Betty S. Black
Affiliation:
The Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.A. The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Department of Health Policy and Management, Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.A. The Johns Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics, Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.A.
Marie T. Nolan
Affiliation:
The Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing, Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.A. The Johns Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics, Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.A.
Peter V. Rabins
Affiliation:
The Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.A. The Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions Department of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.A. The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Department of Health Policy and Management, Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.A. The Johns Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics, Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.A.
*
Correspondence should be addressed to: Karan S. Kverno, PhD, PMHNP, University of Maryland School of Nursing, Department of Family and Community Health, 655 W. Lombard St., Suite 555B, Baltimore, MD 21201, U.S.A. Phone: +1 410-706-7556; Fax: +1 410-706-0253. Email: kverno@son.umaryland.edu.
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Abstract

Background: Advanced dementia is characterized by severe cognitive and functional impairments that lead to almost total dependency in self-care. Neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS) are common in advanced dementia, diminishing quality of life and increasing the care burden. The challenge for health care providers is to find safe and effective treatments. Non-pharmacological interventions offer the potential for safer alternatives to pharmacotherapy, but little is known about their efficacy. This review evaluates the published literature on non-pharmacological interventions for treating NPS in advanced dementia.

Methods: A literature search was undertaken to find non-pharmacological intervention studies published between 1998 and 2008 that measured NPS outcomes in individuals diagnosed with advanced dementia. Strict inclusion criteria initially required that all study participants have severe or very severe dementia, but this range was later broadened to include moderately severe to very severe stages.

Results: Out of 215 intervention studies, 21 (9.8%) specifically focused on treatments for individuals with moderately severe to very severe dementia. The studies provide limited moderate to high quality evidence for the use of sensory-focused strategies, including aroma, preferred or live music, and multi-sensory stimulation. Emotion-oriented approaches, such as simulated presence may be more effective for individuals with preserved verbal interactive capacity.

Conclusions: Most studies of interventions for dementia-related NPS have focused on individuals with mild to moderate cognitive impairment. Individuals with severe cognitive impairment do not necessarily respond to NPS treatments in the same manner. Future studies should be specifically designed to further explore the stage-specific efficacy of non-pharmacological therapies for patients with advanced dementia. Areas of particular need for further research include movement-based therapies, hands-on (touch) therapies, and interventions that can be provided during personal care routines. Interventions appear to work best when they are tailored to balance individual arousal patterns.

Keywords

dementianeuropsychiatricbehavioral and psychological symptoms associated with dementia (BPSD)non-pharmacological
Type
Review Article
Information
International Psychogeriatrics , Volume 21 , Issue 5 , October 2009 , pp. 825 - 843
Copyright
Copyright © International Psychogeriatric Association 2009

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