Objectives: To evaluate the feasibility of telehealth-based cognitive behavior therapy for people living with cognitive impairment experiencing anxiety (Tele-CBT), and to assess whether this leads to improvements in anxiety, depression, and quality of life post-intervention.
Methods: This was a single-blind randomized feasibility pilot trial of the Tele-CBT versus usual care. People living with mild cognitive impairment or dementia experiencing anxiety were recruited and randomized to receive Tele-CBT ( = 5) or continue usual care ( = 5).
Background: Anxiety is commonly experienced by people living with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia. Whilst there is strong evidence for late-life anxiety treatment using cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and delivery via telehealth, there is little evidence for the remote delivery of psychological treatment for anxiety in people living with MCI and dementia. This paper reports the protocol for the Tech-CBT study which aims to investigate the efficacy, cost-effectiveness, usability and acceptability of a technology-assisted and remotely delivered CBT intervention to enhance delivery of anxiety treatment for people living with MCI and dementia of any aetiology.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: Language and communication disorders can inhibit participation in activities that have potential therapeutic benefits for recovery. This exploratory research examined the usability and feasibility of a purpose-built music listening mobile application for people living in the community with post-stroke aphasia, and examined relationships between useability and participant age, aphasia severity and time post-stroke.
Methods: Nineteen participants with chronic aphasia tested the application for two weeks.
Introduction: Communication is an area of health and functioning that is profoundly affected by dementia. While it is known that people living with dementia and their care partners experience disruptions to daily activities and social engagement, detailed knowledge about the lived impact of dementia-related communication changes is lacking. This study sought an in-depth understanding of the lived experience of dementia-related communication changes and the associated impact, needs, and strategies.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Occupational therapists may recommend and support technology use for facilitating independence, safety, wellbeing, and participation. There are high expectations for technology for people living with dementia. However, there is recognition that technologies will need to improve to deliver these expected benefits.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: With increasing focus on living well with dementia, technology has been identified as having potential benefits for safety, independence and wellbeing. Despite a large growth in specialised technology development, there has been limited uptake. There is a need to understand the current use and needs related to technology for people living with dementia and their care partners (informal carers).
View Article and Find Full Text PDF: The social connectedness of older people is of increasing concern. Technology has been suggested for enhancing social inclusion. This study aimed to explore the nature and quality of connections via technology.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAm J Alzheimers Dis Other Demen
February 2021
Dementia is a common neurodegenerative condition involving the deterioration of cognitive and communication skills. Pausing in the speech of people with dementia is a dysfluency that may be used to signal conversational trouble in social interaction. This study aimed to examine the speech-pausing profile within picture description samples from people with dementia and healthy controls (HCs) within the DementiaBank database using the Calpy computational speech processing toolkit.
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