Background: As Japan experiences a super-ageing society and caregiver manpower decreases, interest in the use of communication robots for active dementia care rises. In the U.S., the communication robot (PARO) has been used as a medical device for psychophysiological biofeedback therapy. We report the effects of varying the exposure time for (PARO) on BPSD severity in people with dementia and on the caregivers' burden of professional caregivers in group homes.
Methods: Cluster randomized controlled trial design. Group homes were randomly assigned to two groups, one using (PARO) once a week and the other thrice a week for one hour per session. For the intervention, (PARO) was placed on a table in a communal area, and participants interacted freely with (PARO). The caregivers provided no encouragement. Changes in BPSD severity and caregivers' burden before and after the intervention were compared using a linear mixed model. The primary outcomes were the severity score and caregivers' burden score of the Neuropsychiatric Inventory brief Questionnaire (NPI-Q).
Results: Ninety-one participants were recruited, 85 were included in the analysis. The thrice-weekly group showed improvement in severity scores before and after the intervention, but there was no statistically significant difference between the once-weekly and thrice-weekly groups. The caregivers' burden score was significantly improved in the thrice-weekly group compared to the once-weekly group.
Conclusions: Using (PARO) once a week for 1 month did not have a significant effect on either severity or caregivers' burden, whereas thrice a week contributed to reducing caregivers' burden. The effect was better scored on the severity in the thrice-weekly group than that in the once-a-week group, but the difference was not statistically significant, suggesting the need to revisit this issue with a longer intervention period. The impact on caregivers may be evident after a relatively short period. The introduction of (PARO) potentially reduces caregivers' burden and helps to improve the quality of care, hence providing operational support to group homes.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
|---|---|
| http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/alz.087203 | DOI Listing |
Publication Analysis
Top Keywords
Similar Publications
Drug Development.
Alzheimers Dement
December 2024
Center for Health + Technology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, USA.
Background: In preparation for therapeutic trails involving patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and mild cognitive impairment (MCI), there is a need for valid, disease-specific caregiver-reported outcome (CRO) measures capable of tracking symptomatic burden in response to therapy over time. CROs are useful tools in clinical trials for individuals with AD, MCI, and dementia who are unable to self-report. In addition, CROs are accepted by the United States Food and Drug Administration to support regulatory claims.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) often experience burdensome neuropsychiatric symptoms, including agitation which occurs in both home and long-term care (LTC) facilities, and is associated with substantial increases in caregiver burden and LTC placements. AXS-05 (45-mg dextromethorphan/105-mg bupropion), a novel, oral NMDA receptor antagonist and sigma-1 receptor agonist, approved by the FDA for major depressive disorder, is being investigated for treatment of AD agitation (ADA). AXS-05 has been evaluated in 2 randomized, double-blind studies: Phase 2 ADVANCE-1 (NCT03226522); Phase 3 ACCORD (NCT04797715).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDementia Care Research and Psychosocial Factors.
Alzheimers Dement
December 2024
University College London, London, United Kingdom.
Background: The progressive nature of dementia and the complex needs means that people living with dementia require tailored approaches to address their changing care needs over time. These include physical multimorbidity, psychological, behavioural, and cognitive symptoms and possible risks arising from these and helping family caregivers. However, provision of these interventions is highly variable between and within countries, partly due to uncertainty about their efficacy and scarce resources.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDementia Care Research and Psychosocial Factors.
Alzheimers Dement
December 2024
College of Public Health, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA.
Background: Behavioral and psychological symptoms of people living with dementia (BPSD) are considered to reflect the person's quality of life and are also risk factors for increased burden on caregivers. Although symptoms of BPSD are known to be diverse and variable, it is unclear whether they show similar longitudinal patterns in different countries. Therefore, this study aimed to clarify the trajectory patterns in BPSD and related factors using data from Japan and the US and compare the results of the two countries.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDementia Care Research and Psychosocial Factors.
Alzheimers Dement
December 2024
RWJ Barnabas Health, West Orange, NJ, USA.
Background: Effect and Safety of Electroconvulsive Therapy plus Usual Care for the Acute Management of Severe Agitation in Dementia (ECT-AD) is a multi-site NIA-funded FDA-regulated pioneering clinical trial to investigate the effectiveness of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) in treating severe and treatment-refractory agitation and aggression among individuals with advanced dementia, a condition that has a profound negative impact on patient quality of life and caregiver burden. Here we present baseline demographics of the patient population in this ongoing trial.
Method: To date we have enrolled 18 participants, with a mean age of 74.
Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!