Multisensory stimulation for patients with Alzheimer’s disease
Researchers from the University of Missouri, Kansas City measured changes in inappropriate behavior.
First, the details.
- Patients with Alzheimer’s disease living in a long-term care facility were assigned to a treatment group.
- Exposure to a multisensory stimulation environment
- No exposure to a multisensory stimulation environment
- Documented disruptive behavior included pacing, exit-seeking activities, hitting, yelling, and aggressive talking.
And, the results.
- Exposure to a multisensory stimulation environment was associated with fewer incidences of disruptive behavior, but not the behaviors present.
The bottom line?
The authors concluded, “The use of these interventions [multisensory stimulation environment], where feasible, should be considered prior to the use of pharmacological methods.â€
There’s disagreement over the value of multisensory stimulation environment (also called Snoezelen), as discussed here.
2/15/10 22:02 JR