Foot massage versus quiet presence on agitation and mood in people with dementia: a randomised controlled trial.

Background: There is increasing interest in using complementary and alternative treatments to manage behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia such as agitation, aggression and depressed mood.

Objective: To compare the effect of foot massage (intervention) and quiet presence (control) on agitation and mood in people with dementia.

Design: A randomised controlled trial using a within-subjects, crossover design.

Foot massage and physiological stress in people with dementia: a randomized controlled trial.

Background: The anxiety associated with unfamiliar surroundings, the disorientation and mental confusion, and the social isolation that accompanies dementia can often create increased stress for people living in long-term care settings. Such a response is thought to affect the autonomic nervous system and result in emotional and physical symptoms of distress that may be manifested as agitation. There is the potential for such distress to influence the physiological response and in particular Blood Pressure and Heart Rate.