Behavior‐analytic Research on Dementia in Older Adults

Abstract

It is estimated that 1 in 10 adults aged 65 years and older have been diagnosed with dementia, which is associated with numerous behavioral excesses and deficits. Despite the publication of a special section of the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis (JABA) on behavioral gerontology (Iwata, 1986), there continues to be a paucity of behavior-analytic research with this population. This review compares the research published before and after the behavioral gerontology special section and evaluates the most recently published aging articles in JABA.

Expanding the Consumer Base for Behavior-Analytic Services: Meeting the Needs of Consumers in the 21st Century

“…For many individuals with autism spectrum disorders and intellectual disabilities that impact has occurred and services are more universally available than ever before because of the growth in our workforce of qualified providers (Carr, 2011;Johnston, 2009;Reid, 1991). Behavior analytic researchers have documented the same powerful benefits of applied behavior analysis in addressing other socially important clinical concerns including drug addiction (Silverman, Roll, & Higgins, 2008), dementia (Baker et al, 2006;Trahan, Kahng, Fisher, & Hausman, 2011), and brain injury (Cowley et al, 1992;Slifer & Amari, 2009). However, consumers with these conditions and others are still underserved by behavior analysts.…”

Cognition and language in dementia patients: Contributions from behavior analysis

“…Considering that pharmacological intervention is far from producing effective results, Drossel and Fisher () argued that it was time to develop a behavior analytic model to investigate dementia and intervene on its course. According to Buchanan et al () and Trahan, Kahng, Fisher, and Hausman (), research on behavior analysis has been addressing interventions for problem behavior (aggression and disruptive vocalization), adaptive behavior (social interaction, feeding, and ambulation), and mood improvement. These symptoms, called “behavioral and psychological symptoms” by the International Psychogeriatric Association (Finkel, Costa e Silva, Cohen, Miler, & Satorius, ), affect quality of life, not only of patients but also of their families and caregivers (Douglas, James, & Ballar, ; Gruber‐Baldini, Boustani, Sloane, & Zimmerman, ).…”

“…Comparing their results with a review by Wisocki and Mosher (), they concluded that the increase in number of publication in this field was small. Trahan et al () reviewed only articles in behavioral gerontology published in JABA in the last 5 years. They found only five articles, four of them with people with dementia.…”

Nanoscale drug delivery systems and the blood–brain barrier

“…3 In addition to meeting the essential requirements for a new medicinal preparation, such as optimal activity, selectivity, and bioavailability, preparations aimed at CNS targets must penetrate the blood-brain barrier (BBB). 4 The variety of approaches to create new CNS drug-delivery systems is primarily due to the large number of anatomical and physiological characteristics of the BBB, which play a major role in defining the challenges and limitations in drug delivery across the BBB.…”