The use of poetry in a day care center for Alzheimer's disease

ABSTRACTBackground:Transcultural studies regarding the comparison of levels of burden in caregivers of patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) from Europe and Latin America are rare. We designed this study to investigate the differentiating factors associated with burden in Brazilian and Spanish caregivers of patients with AD.Methods:This is a cross-sectional study composed by samples of outpatients with AD and their caregivers from Brazil (n = 128) and Spain (n = 146). Caregivers answered the Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI) and a Sociodemographic Questionnaire. Patients were assessed with the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Functional Activities Questionnaire (FAQ), Disability Assessment for Dementia (DAD), Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI), and Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) Scale.Results:In the multivariate regression analysis, high burden levels were reported in Brazil, when caregivers were female (p = 0.025) and when patients did not attend Day Care Center (p = 0.025). In Spain, high burden levels were associated with living with the patient (p = 0.014), younger caregivers (p = 0.003), and participation of patients at Day Care Center (p = 0.046). Also, different neuropsychiatric symptoms explained high burden levels: in Brazil, depression (p < 0.001) and anxiety (p = 0.024) and, in Spain, apathy/indifference (p < 0.001), agitation/aggression (p = 0.019) and irritability/lability (p = 0.027).Conclusions:Caregivers’ gender, patients who attended Day Care Center and neuropsychiatric symptoms were differentiating factors in the burden of Brazilian and Spanish caregivers.

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Animal-assisted activity and emotional status of patients with Alzheimer's disease in day care

International Psychogeriatrics ◽

10.1017/s1041610211000226 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 23 (6) ◽

pp. 899-905 ◽

Cited By ~ 51

Author(s):

Enrico Mossello ◽

Alessandro Ridolfi ◽

Anna Maria Mello ◽

Giulia Lorenzini ◽

Francesca Mugnai ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Alzheimer’S Disease ◽

Alzheimer's Disease ◽

Motor Activity ◽

Day Care ◽

Repeated Measures ◽

Rating Scale ◽

Care Center ◽

Emotional Status ◽

Item Score ◽

Control Activity

ABSTRACTBackground: Preliminary studies suggest beneficial effects of animal-assisted activities (AAA) on behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD), but data are inconsistent. This study aimed to assess the effect of AAA with dogs on cognition, BPSD, emotional status and motor activity in severe Alzheimer's disease (AD).Methods: Ten patients attending an Alzheimer Day Care Center (ADCC) participated in a repeated measures study, which included: two weeks' pre-intervention, three weeks' control activity with plush dogs (CA), and three weeks' AAA. Cognitive function (Severe Impairment Battery), mood (Cornell Scale for Depression in Dementia; CSDD), BPSD (Neuropsychiatric Inventory; NPI) and agitation (Cohen-Mansfield Agitation Inventory; CMAI) were assessed at baseline and after each period. Observed Emotion Rating Scale (OERS) for emotional status, Agitated Behavior Mapping Instrument (ABMI) and a checklist for motor activity were completed across the study periods, both during intervention sessions and after three hours.Results: Cognition and NPI were unchanged across the study. Declines in the CMAI and CSDD scores after AAA were not significant, while the NPI anxiety item score decreased in comparison with CA (CA 3.1±2.3, AAA 1.5±2.7, p = 0.04). OERS “sadness” decreased (p = 0.002), while “pleasure” (p = 0.016) and “general alertness” (p = 0.003) increased during AAA compared with CA sessions, and observed sadness remained lower after three hours (p = 0.002). Motor activity increased significantly during AAA.Conclusion: In this sample of severe AD patients in ADCC, AAA was associated with a decrease in anxiety and sadness and an increase in positive emotions and motor activity in comparison with a control activity.

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