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Non-pharmacologic treatments may be more effective for psychiatric symptoms of dementia

Date:
October 14, 2019
Source:
St. Michael's Hospital
Summary:
A systematic review and meta-analysis suggests outdoor activities were more clinically effective than anti-psychotic medication for treating physical aggression in patients with dementia. For patients with physical agitation, massage and touch therapy were more efficacious than usual care or caregiver support.
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FULL STORY

For patients with dementia who have symptoms of aggression and agitation, interventions such as outdoor activities, massage and touch therapy may be more effective treatments than medication in some cases, suggests a study publishing Oct. 14 inAnnals of Internal Medicine.

The systematic review and meta-analysis, led by St. Michael's Hospital of Unity Health Toronto and the University of Calgary, suggest outdoor activities were more clinically effective than anti-psychotic medication for treating physical aggression in patients with dementia. For patients with physical agitation, massage and touch therapy were more efficacious than usual care or caregiver support.

"Dementia affects 50 million people worldwide and as many as three quarters of those living with the disease have reported neuropsychiatric symptoms including aggression, agitation and anxiety," said Dr. Jennifer Watt, a researcher at the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute of St. Michael's Hospital.

"Unfortunately, our understanding of the comparative efficacy of medication versus non-medicine interventions for treating psychiatric symptoms has been limited due to a lack of head-to-head randomized controlled trials of the two routes."

为了解决这个差距,瓦特博士领导的研究人员who is also a geriatrician; Dr. Sharon Straus, director of the Knowledge Translation Program at St. Michael's; and Dr. Zahra Goodarzi, a geriatrician and researcher at the University of Calgary, worked with 12 dementia care partners to select study outcomes based on commonly reported neuropsychiatric symptoms of the disease. They identified reports of improvement in aggression and agitation to be the main two outcomes to focus on in the analysis and review.

The study's findings are based on an analysis of 163 randomized controlled trials involving 23,143 people with dementia and the study of pharmacologic or non-pharmacologic interventions to treat aggression and agitation.

尽管这项研究支持的比较two types of interventions, the researchers point out that neuropsychiatric symptoms of dementia do not have a one-size-fits-all solution.

"Treatment should be tailored to the patient and their specific experience," said Dr. Straus, who is also a geriatrician at St. Michael's. "This study, however, does shed light on the opportunity to consider prioritizing different types of interventions for aggression and agitation when appropriate."

Further research, Dr. Watt said, will aim to understand the influence of individual patient characteristics on their response to interventions. The researchers also note the need for an analysis of the differences in cost between pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic interventions to treat aggression and agitation in patients with dementia.

"This study shows us that multidisciplinary care is efficacious, and that is consistent with a person-centred approach to care," Dr. Watt said. "It points to evidence of the benefit of supporting multidisciplinary teams providing care to patients in the community and nursing home settings."

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Story Source:

Materials provided bySt. Michael's Hospital.注意:内容可能被编辑风格d length.


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St. Michael's Hospital. "Non-pharmacologic treatments may be more effective for psychiatric symptoms of dementia." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 14 October 2019. /releases/2019/10/191014181650.htm>.
St. Michael's Hospital. (2019, October 14). Non-pharmacologic treatments may be more effective for psychiatric symptoms of dementia.ScienceDaily. Retrieved October 24, 2023 from www.koonmotors.com/releases/2019/10/191014181650.htm
St. Michael's Hospital. "Non-pharmacologic treatments may be more effective for psychiatric symptoms of dementia." ScienceDaily. www.koonmotors.com/releases/2019/10/191014181650.htm (accessed October 24, 2023).

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