New Technology Helps Dementia Patients Manage Their Responsive Behaviours

Researchers say that responsive behaviours in people with dementia can now be managed with a new technology called the Ambient Activity Technologies.

Lack of stimulation in dementia patients can result in "responsive" behaviors like hitting, screaming, and wandering, specially in people who are in long-term care facilities.

Common measures to avoid such "responsive" behaviors, such as antipsychotic medications and personalized recreational and music therapy programs, can cause adverse health effects in the former case and be difficult for staff to find time to carry out in the latter case.

First App To Help Improve Living Environment For People With Dementia
The dementia database IRIDIS will make a simple assessment of a person's home and recommend changes that can be made to the building.

‘Quality of life for people with dementia can be enhanced by maintaining their physical and cognitive status.’

A team of human factors/ergonomics researchers helped to evaluate and refine Ambient Activity (or AA; Ambient Activity Technologies Inc.), interactive tools designed to augment existing programs and activities by alleviating boredom and increasing engagement.

The team evaluating the effectiveness of AA units for managing behavior in people with dementia is being led by Andrea Wilkinson, a postdoctoral research fellow in mechanical and industrial engineering at the University of Toronto.

The work was recently presented at the 2017 International Symposium on Human Factors and Ergonomics in Health Care, held in March in New Orleans, Louisiana. "Ambient Activity Technologies for Managing Responsive Behaviors in Dementia" has just been published in the online proceedings of the symposium.

Mercury in Seafood Does Not Appear To Increase the Risk of Dementia: Study
Those who ate more seafood had higher levels of mercury in the brain, but the autopsies showed no signs of brain disease in those who had mercury in the brain.

The AA unit has a wooden case and knobs reminiscent of an old-style radio/television to provide dementia patients with a sense of familiarity and comfort with the device. It is designed to be mounted on the wall, where it can be easily accessed.

When a patient turns a knob or flips a switch, the AA unit displays personalized content such as a slideshow of family photos, games, movie clips, and favorite music that has been selected by residents, family members, or staff and preloaded onto the AA unit.

Poor Balance Among Older Adults may Indicate Higher Risk for Dementia
Poor physical performance is linked to increased odds of dementia in older adults. Standing balance test may help doctors predict dementia risk in older adults.

The device uses Bluetooth technology to recognize and connect each resident with his or her individualized programming so it can be activated anytime day or night.

Wilkinson notes, "AA aims to treat the cause rather than the symptom by creating meaningful physical, mental, and social engagement with personalized activities and content.

Astronauts Deployed on a Trip to Mars are at High Risk of Dementia-Like Condition
Exposure to highly energetic charged particles causes significant damage to the central nervous system. It results in cognitive impairments, brain inflammation.

Our goal is to help people with dementia maintain their physical and cognitive status as much as possible while enhancing their quality of life." Testing and evaluation prior to commercial release of the device is still under way.

Source-Eurekalert