Centre for Policy on Ageing



Management of problematic behavioral symptoms associated with dementia — a cognitive developmental approach
Author(s)	M A Matteson, A D Linton, B L Cleary
Journal title	Aging: Clinical and Experimental Research, vol 9, no 5, October 1997
Pages	pp 342-355
Keywords	Dementia ; Behaviour disorders ; Patients [nursing homes] ; Drugs ; Longitudinal surveys ; United States of America.
Annotation	The aim of this 3-year study was to test the efficacy of using a theoretical model based on Piaget's cognitive developmental stages for consistent behavioural and environmental interventions for people at all stages of Alzheimer's disease and related disorders in nursing homes and special care units in the United States (US). The specific aims were to reduce problematic behavioural symptoms and the number, amount and frequency of use of psychotropic medications. After 18 months, problem behaviours and some types of psychotropic medications significantly decreased in the treatment group but not in the control group. Results of the study indicate that using behavioural and environmental interventions based on Piaget levels of cognitive development may be an effective method of managing problematic behavioural symptoms and decreasing the use of psychotropic medications in institutionalised patients with dementia.
Accession Number	CPA-980225415 A
Classmark	EA: EP: LHB:LF: LLD: 3J: 7T
Data © Centre for Policy on Ageing

...from the Ageinfo database published by Centre for Policy on Ageing.