A new perspective on cognitive rehabilitation: layout design methods for wandering behavior in dementia patients

Abstract

The global prevalence of dementia is on the rise, and existing medical models can no longer fulfill the pervasive need for intervention. Dementia is incurable, but the identification of Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) provides a window of opportunity for early intervention. The environmental therapy theory has been widely adopted, however, the implementation pathways and empirical evidence for cognitive behavioral interventions are still limited. The role of interior layout design as one of the environmental elements in guiding human behavioural patterns has been demonstrated by numerous scholars and extended to be explored in relation to perceptual and cognitive behavioural dimensions. There has been a great deal of research on Wandering Behavior In Patients With Cognitive Disorders in the medical field, but only sporadic reports in the field of design. Employing an “environment-behavior-neuroscience” research approach, this paper constructs the relationship between wandering behavior, cognitive function, and environmental factors, and explores the possibility of environmental intervention to improve cognitive functions. The study shows that: 1) The wandering patterns of dementia patients can be guided through landmarks; 2) There is a direct relationship between the depth of spatial communication and the layout, and optimizing the spatial layout can foster communication and theoretically have a restorative effect on cognitive function; 3) Centripetal layouts are more effective in behavior guidance, while multicore circulation path layouts can accommodate the wandering needs of dementia patients. As dementia is incurable, early intervention is the most effective approach, making this research highly valuable.