Effectiveness of Interventions Designed to Modify and Maintain Perceptual Abilities in People With Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias

In light of the Centennial Vision charge of supporting practice through evidence, this article reviews productive aging research published in the American Journal of Occupational Therapy (AJOT) in 2013 and as a whole from 2009 to 2013. Thirteen such articles were published in 2013, consisting of 4 systematic reviews that identified effective occupational therapy interventions for older adults with low vision; 1 randomized controlled trial that examined changes in occupational therapists' mental health practices with DVD training; and 8 descriptive articles addressing instrument development, practitioner decision making, patient management of medications, and effects of task activities on pain and participation levels. From 2009 to 2013, the quantity and quality of AJOT articles on productive aging increased; 63 articles were published, including 24 effectiveness studies, 14 basic research studies, 15 articles on instrument development and testing, 1 article linking occupational engagement and health, 6 articles on professional education, and 3 articles addressing professional questions.

Section: Effectiveness Studiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Update on Productive Aging Research in the American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 2013, and Overview of Research Published 2009–2013

D'Amico

2014

“…Occupational therapy practitioners routinely work with people who have chronic neurological disorders, including Parkinson's disease (Rao, 2010), Huntington's disease (Bilney, Morris, & Perry, 2003), multiple sclerosis (Steultjens, Dekker, Bouter, Leemrijse, & van den Ende, 2005), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lewis & Rushanan, 2007), essential tremor, and Alzheimer's disease (Letts et al, 2011). For example, in Parkinson's disease, the primary pathology is a depletion of dopamine in the substantia nigra, a nucleus in the basal ganglia.…”

Section: Challenge Of Chronic Progressive Disordersmentioning

confidence: 99%

Measuring Function in Chronic Progressive Disorders

Rao

2013

“…Six systematic reviews of intervention strategies for people with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias and their caregivers were published in 2011 as part of the AOTA's Evidence-Based Practice project (Jensen & Padilla, 2011;Letts, Minezes, et al, 2011;Padilla, 2011aPadilla, , 2011bThinnes & Padilla, 2011). The systematic reviews focused specifically on delineating effective interventions for fall prevention; occupation to improve quality of life, health, and satisfaction for clients and caregivers; environmental modifications; perceptual abilities; modification of activity demands; and educational and supportive strategies for caregivers of people with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias.…”

Section: Effectiveness Studiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Client-specific interventions that were most effective included providing structured, individually tailored leisure and self-care activities commensurate with the client's abilities, Montessori activities, and small-group social participation opportunities Padilla, 2011aPadilla, , 2011b. Use of sensory integration techniques and multisensory stimulation to maintain perceptual abilities of people with Alzheimer's disease had little to no evidence to support their benefit (Letts, Minezes, et al, 2011). Environmental modifications such as increased light intensity, environmental sounds, aromatherapy, and ambient music were found to have mixed or low benefit to mediate behavior and agitation among this population.…”

Section: Effectiveness Studiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Downloaded from http://ajot.aota.org on 10/12/2020 Terms of use: http://AOTA.org/terms wandering through doors, labeling drawers, and using names on people's doors (Letts, Minezes, et al, 2011;Padilla, 2011aPadilla, , 2011b. Jensen and Padilla's (2011) systematic review of 12 studies related to people with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias found strong support for a multifaceted approach to fall intervention that focused on gait, balance, and strength training along with staff education about environmental awareness for fall prevention.…”

Section: Effectiveness Studiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Update on Productive Aging in the American Journal of Occupational Therapy 2011

D'Amico¹

2012

A review of the productive aging articles published in the American Journal of Occupational Therapy during 2011 was conducted and discussed in light of meeting the Centennial Vision charge of supporting practice through evidence. Twelve articles that specifically addressed productive aging were published in AJOT in 2011. The review of these 12 articles found seven Level I studies. Six of the articles were systematic reviews identifying effective interventions for people with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias and their caregivers, and 1 was a randomized controlled trial of fall prevention in community-dwelling older adults. Five were basic research studies. Two of the 5 studies researched professional issues, and 3 addressed client-based issues. The quantity of productive aging research published in 2011 was consistent with the quantity reported in 2009 and 2010. More studies building the body of evidence about the effectiveness of occupational therapy with older adults are needed.