Open AccessNon-pharmacological therapy in the management of behavioral and cognitive symptoms of dementia: a literature review
Author(s) -
Ana Catarini Lopes Baltazar,
Amanda Mansur Rosa,
Ana Luiza Soares Henriques de Almeida,
Isabela Guedes,
Luciana Maria Campos e Silva,
Suelen Darlane Vieira,
Rafael Rodrigues,
Maíssa Ferreira Diniz
Publication year - 2021
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Conference proceedings
DOI - 10.5327/1516-3180.494
Subject(s) - dementia , apathy , psychological intervention , intervention (counseling) , delirium , cognition , clinical psychology , medicine , aromatherapy , psychology , psychiatry , psychotherapist , alternative medicine , disease , pathology
Background: Pharmacological treatments for dementia, such as antipsychotics and benzodiazepines, cause significant side effects. Therefore, the search for non-pharmacological alternatives for relieving behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia is increasing. Up to 90% of patients with dementia are affected by one or more symptoms: behavior change, disturbing vocalization, restlessness, rambling, apathy, among others. Objectives: Analyze the effectiveness of non-pharmacological measures in the management of dementia. Design and Setting: Review of the literature. Methods: The PubMed database was used with the descriptors “non pharmacological interventions”, and “dementia”. From the 450 found, 9 articles published between 2015 and 2019 were selected. Results: Some non-pharmacological measures reported were art therapy, music therapy, aromatherapy, behavioral therapy and physical exercises. However, intervention methods varied between studies as they used different teoric bases and investigated individually the effect of personalized activities. The best results were found when the treatment was adapted to the interests and skills of the participants, mainly regarding apathy and agitation. In addition, a study has shown that an organized non-pharmacological intervention program was also effective in controlling external and intrinsic symptoms, including hallucination and delirium. Conclusion: Studies focusing on alternative approaches reveal that different non-pharmacological interventions are able to reduce psychological symptoms and behavioral disorders. Therefore, they should be considered as first option interventions for treatment. In addition, these variants of precise treatment for greater visibility and more comprehensive studies.