 |
|
Alternative therapies may help people with dementia
December 04, 2002Aromatherapy and bright light treatment may have an important role in managing behavioural problems in people with dementia, conclude researchers in this week’s BMJ.
Most older people with dementia develop psychiatric symptoms or behavioural disturbances such as agitation, aggression, depression, delusions, wandering, sleep disturbance, and hallucinations. Drugs such as neuroleptics and other sedatives are often prescribed but are associated with side effects.
A wide range of alternative approaches has been tried but reports have essentially been qualitative and based on small numbers of patients. However, two exceptions are aromatherapy and bright light treatment, which have emerged as promising treatments, write the authors.
Three trials on aromatherapy in the last year have reported a significant beneficial effect on agitation compared with placebo with almost complete compliance and no side effects. Lemon balm or lavender oil are the two main agents used and are delivered by either inhalation or skin application.
Three recent trials on bright light therapy have also shown a particularly beneficial effect on sleep disturbance.
People with dementia are among the most vulnerable in our society, say the authors. Symptoms often need to be treated expediently, and drugs, although moderately effective, can be hazardous. Aromatherapy and bright light treatment seem to be safe and effective and may have an important role in managing behavioural problems in people with dementia, they conclude.
British Medical Journal (BMJ)
Three trials on aromatherapy in the last year have reported a significant beneficial effect on agitation compared with placebo with almost complete compliance and no side effects. Lemon balm or lavender oil are the two main agents used and are delivered by either inhalation or skin application.
Three recent trials on bright light therapy have also shown a particularly beneficial effect on sleep disturbance.
People with dementia are among the most vulnerable in our society, say the authors. Symptoms often need to be treated expediently, and drugs, although moderately effective, can be hazardous. Aromatherapy and bright light treatment seem to be safe and effective and may have an important role in managing behavioural problems in people with dementia, they conclude.
British Medical Journal (BMJ)
Dementia Current Events and Dementia News RSSMix of taiji, cognitive therapy and support groups benefits those with dementia
Those diagnosed with early stage dementia can slow their physical, mental and psychological decline by taking part in therapeutic programs that combine counseling, support groups, Taiji and qigong, researchers report. Some of the benefits of this approach are comparable to those achieved with anti-dementia medications.
Study sheds light on causes of HIV dementia
A new study led by researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University has clarified how two major variants of HIV differ in their ability to cause neurologic complications.
M.I.N.D. Institute researchers call for fragile X testing throughout the lifespan
Writing in this week's Journal of the American Medical Association, UC Davis M.I.N.D. Institute researchers urge physicians to test for mutations of the fragile X gene in patients of all ages.
Bittersweet milestones
For many of the elderly, the golden years are anything but. Faced with health problems, financial issues and the death of a spouse or loved one, many adults 65 years and older suffer from depression. While research is emerging to help this group understand and treat the problem, another group - centenarians - has been left largely in the dark.
Rapid Screening Test Developed to Detect Early Alzheimer's Disease
With millions of baby boomers entering late adulthood, the number of patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) is expected to drastically rise over the next several decades.
Caring for the caregiver: Redefining the definition of patient
One quarter of all family caregivers of Alzheimer's disease patients succumb to the stress of providing care to a loved one and become hospital patients themselves, according to an Indiana University study published in the November 2008 issue of the Journal of General Internal Medicine.
Vitamin B3 reduces Alzheimer's symptoms, lesions
An over-the-counter vitamin in high doses prevented memory loss in mice with Alzheimer's disease, and UC Irvine scientists now are conducting a clinical trial to determine its effect in humans.
Common epilepsy drug could prevent and treat Alzheimer's disease
The team led by UBC Psychiatry Prof. Weihong Song, who is also the Jack Brown and Family Professor and Chair in Alzheimer's Disease at UBC, found that if Valproic Acid (VPA) is used as a treatment in early stages of AD memory deficit is reversed.
Drinking alcohol associated with smaller brain volume
The more alcohol an individual drinks, the smaller his or her total brain volume, according to a report in the October issue of Archives of Neurology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
Has a new era of reinstitutionalization in mental health care begun?
A retrospective analysis of hospital episode statistics, involuntary admissions under the Mental Health Act 1983, and the number of psychiatric beds in England 1996-2006.
More Dementia Current Events and Dementia News Articles
 | When Your Loved One Has Dementia: A Simple Guide for Caregivers by Joy A. Glenner, Jean M. Stehman, Judith Davagnino, Margaret J. Galante, Martha L. Green Eighty percent of persons with dementia live at home, and the family members caring for them are often overwhelmed by the enormous responsibility and the complexities of care. This book is designed to support the caregivers and help them understand the needs and feelings of the person for whom they are caring. A central focus is the goal of sustaining a loving family relationship between the... |
 | What If It's Not Alzheimer's?: A Caregiver's Guide to Dementia (Updated & Revised) Includes Vital Information on Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD) Foreword by John Q. Trojanowski, MD, PhD, Director, Alzheimer's Disease Center, University of Pennsylvania Hospital Although the public most often associates dementia with Alzheimer's disease, the medical profession now distinguishes various types of "other" dementias. This book is the first comprehensive guide dealing with ... |
 | The Art of Dementia Care by Daniel Kuhn, Jane Verity The Art of Dementia Care is a practical guide intended for all who provide support, encouragement and care for people with dementia. Using a relationship model of care, you will learn how you can make a positive difference in the lives of those with dementia. Discussion and examples will challenge you to reflect on your attitude and behavior towards people with dementia and teach you to provide... |
 | Montessori-Based Activities for Persons With Dementia Improve your care by improving the functioning of your clients or residents with Alzheimer's disease. Discover how the principles of Montessori education can help people with dementia maintain or improve skills needed in their daily lives. With these 41 step-by-step activities you can enhance the skills used to per form basic tasks, such as self-feeding; preparing simple meals; dressing;... |
 | Person-Centred Dementia Care: Making Services Better (Bradford Dementia Group Good Practice Guides) by Dawn Brooker The term person-centred care has been widely used, misused and ill defined. It is used frequently in the aims and objectives for dementia care services and provision, although in practice what lies behind the rhetoric can be questionable. This book gives fresh definition to the important ideas behind and the implementation of person centred care for people with dementia. Dawn Brooker explains the... |
 | Elder Rage, or Take My Father... Please!: How to Survive Caring for Aging Parents by Jacqueline Marcell A riveting, often humorous, non-fiction novel that chronicles Jacqueline Marcell's trials and tribulations, and eventual success at managing the care of her aging parents. Elder Rage is also an extensive self-help book with solutions for effective management, medically and behaviorally, of challenging elders who resist care. Includes answers to difficult "how to" questions like: getting... |
 | Dementia Caregivers Share Their Stories: A Support Group in a Book by Lynda A. Markut, Anatole Crane Replete with the powerful words of experienced caregivers, Dementia Caregivers Share Their Stories is an essential guidebook for anyone who must attend to the needs of a loved one suffering from Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia. In these pages, members of caregivers’ support groups - representing twenty-six families and a variety of professions and income levels - speak... |
 | A Guide to the Spiritual Dimension of Care for People With Alzheimer s Disease and Related Dementia: More Than Body, Brain, and Breath by Eileen Shamy In this sensitive and informative book, Eileen Shamy, a pioneer of ministry to people with Alzheimer's disease, discusses how pastoral work can help to develop holistic care for those suffering from dementia and related conditions - care which involves understanding of their spiritual as well as physical needs. From her years of experience as a clergywoman working with older people in care... |
 | Dancing With Dementia: My Story Of Living Positively With Dementia by Christine Bryden Christine Bryden was a top civil servant and single mother of three children when she was diagnosed with dementia at the age of 46. Since then she has gone on to challenge almost every stereotype of people with dementia by campaigning for self-advocacy, writing articles and speaking at national conferences. This book is a vivid account of the author's experiences of living with dementia,... |
 | Coping With Dementia: What Every Caregiver Needs To Know by Rosemary De Cuir Once a person has clearly demonstrated that he is incapable of functioning independently in the home, it is time for the family to mobilize and work to help lessen the chances of accident, injury, or even death. It is equally important to begin to rebuild and establish a comfortable and meaningful life for your loved one. The prevailing view in... |
| © 2008 BrightSurf.com |