A randomized controlled trial of the effects of multi-sensory stimulation (MSS) for people with dementia

Contact Information

Keywords

Rebecca Pearce S.A.Elliott@greenwich.ac.uk

N/A

Abstract

Objectives: To investigate short-term effects of Multi-Sensory Stimulation (MSS) on behaviour, mood and cognition of older adults with dementia, the generalization of effects to day hospital and home environments and the endurance of any effects over time. Design: A randomized controlled trial comparing MSS with a credible control of one-to-one activities.Methods: Fifty patients with diagnoses of moderate to severe dementia were randomized to either MSS or Activity groups. Patients participated in eight 30-minute sessions over a 4-week period. Ratings of behaviour and mood were taken before, during and after sessions to investigate immediate effects. Pre, mid, post-trial, and follow-up assessments were taken to investigate any generalization of effects on cognition, behaviour at the day hospital and behaviour and mood at home and endurance of effects once sessions had ceased. Results: Immediately after MSS and Activity sessions patients talked more spontaneously, related better to others, did more from their own initiative, were less bored/inactive, and were more happy, active or alert. Both groups were more attentive to their environment than before, with a significantly greater improvement from the MSS group. At the day hospital, patients in the Activity group improved on their 'speech skills' (amount of speech; initiation of speech), whereas the MSS group remained unchanged during the trial. The MSS group showed a significant improvement in mood and behaviour at home compared to the Activity group whose behaviour deteriorated. No longer-term benefits were shown; indeed, behaviour declined sharply during the month follow-up period.

Citation

Baker, R., Bell, S., Baker, E., Gibson, S., Holloway, J., Pearce, R., Dowling, Z., Thomas, P., Assey, J., & Wareing, L. A. (2001). A randomized controlled trial of the effects of multi-sensory stimulation (MSS) for people with dementia. The British journal of clinical psychology, 40(1), 81–96. https://doi.org/10.1348/014466501163508

DOI

10.1348/014466501163508

EWB Constructs:

(3) Positive Affect

EWB Measures:

Behaviour and Mood Disturbance Scale (BMDScale: Greene, Smith, Gardiner, & Timbury, 1982).

data availability:

data availability details:

N/A

brain imaging paradigm:

N/A

brain region/circuit:

Exclusion Criteria:

(a) additional psychiatric diagnoses;
(b) had more than one MSS session within the previous 3 month

Inclusion Criteria

1. Living at home with a primary carer.
2. Referral to the Elderly Mental Health Service of Dorset HealthCare NHS Trust by their general practitioner.
3. Consultant psychiatrist’s diagnosis of either Alzheimer’s disease, vascular or mixed dementia as recorded in their medical notes and corroborated by the research assistant using items from the CAMDEX diagnostic tool (Rothet al., 1986).
4. Attendance at one of three-day centres on two or more days a week.

Non-EWB Behavioral
Measures:

Clifton Assessment Procedures for the Elderly
Mini-Mental State Examination
Cognitive Assessment Scale
Behaviour Rating Scale

First author:

Roger Baker

species:

Human

sample size:

study design:

(5) RCT

longitudinal data?

Yes

younger controls?

interventions:

multi-sensory stimulation (MSS)

study population:

(2) patients with (pre)clinical dementia

sex (% female):

50%

ethnicity (%white)

not stated (UK)

Age (mean, sd):

biological/Physiological Measures:

N/A