Active clinical trials for "Dementia"

This study is a randomized single-blind controlled trial with parallel arms.The present study is based on that previously published by Pezzati and collegues (2014) and it is part of a larger project focusing on Doll Therapy dissemination in Canton Ticino through team training and supervision and guidelines definition that led to the establishment of the Ticino Doll Therapy Group with support of the Canton Office for elderly and home care. The first hypothesis regards the 30 days-effectiveness efficacy of the Doll Therapy intervention in reducing symptoms of behavioral disorders (BPSD) that appear in stressful situations (as in the case of a separation from a professional caregiver) and in reducing stress as perceived by the treating physician. Another issue to be investigated is whether the typical way in which a person manifested attachment behaviors during own life (classified in three types of mental states: secure, insecure and unresolved) is associated, once this person is in an advanced stage of dementia, with caregiving behaviors of the PWD during the doll presentation (i.e. caressing the object, talking to it and smiling).

The Geriatric Center Ulm scientifically supported a three-year pilot study (ProjektDEMENZ Ulm), in which numerous findings on the system of care regarding people suffering from dementia and their relatives were determined. One of the most important conclusions is the significant lack of information on the well-functioning network of the care system in Ulm. The full potential of the network is not being exploited. The situation in the Alb-Donau-Kreis - the area surrounding Ulm - is very similar. The investigators' aim is to improve the utilization of the system of care for those suffering from dementia in Ulm/Alb-Donau-Kreis by using a newly designed advisory approach (Lighthouse Project on Dementia, Ulm, ULTDEM study). The purpose of the study is to prove the effectiveness of this procedure by using a prospective, open, randomized, controlled, interventional study. After the randomization, the interventional group is given comprehensive, individual advice about available treatment possibilities for people suffering from dementia. In addition, they have the opportunity to re-evaluate their present diagnostic procedure. The participants of the control group receive the standard treatment. Inclusion criterion is the application of a care level ( level 0 or 1). Recruitment will take one year. A final assessment will be taken every six months.

The prevalence of dementia is rapidly growing worldwide, affecting 46.8 million people in 2015. The 2014 Alzheimer's Society report estimated that 311,730 people with dementia were living in care homes in the United Kingdom (UK). In care homes, people are more likely to be socially isolated and experience a lack of stimulation. It has been argued that access to meaningful activities is of high importance. One strategy that may engage older people in enjoyable leisure activities is the use of touchscreen technology. Previous research has indicated that people with dementia and care staff reported positive experiences when using touchscreen technology, showing improvements in quality of life, relationships and interpersonal interaction. A possible way to engage people with dementia with touchscreen technology could be through the use of the visual arts. Preliminary evidence shows the use of arts with this population to be beneficial in reducing behavioural symptoms, depression and isolation and make people with dementia more able to express feelings. The use of visual art activities in touchscreen technology is a promising idea, as positive results from interventions using these activities independently can be found in scientific literature. This intervention will consist of the use of two different visual art apps on touchscreen tablets with people with dementia living in care homes. Study data collection will take 8 weeks; four weeks will involve the execution of the intervention and four weeks for measurements. Participants will be supported to use the app twice-weekly, with a maximum of 8 individual sessions. So far, very little research on the benefits of visual art interventions on touchscreen devices has been made. Thus, there is a need to have more research on this topic. This study will add to research on this field, and its results could be valuable to care staff and people with dementia.

This multicentre randomized control trial aims to evaluate the effects of an intervention consisting of an health application developed to improve the quality of life (QoL) in older people with mild dementia and their informal caregivers. The study is a collaboration between five European countries where the clinical trials will be conducted in four of these countries (Sweden, Belgium, Spain and Czech Republic). In total 1200 dyads (consisting of a person with mild dementia (PWD) and their informal caregiver (carer) will be recruited for this study. Participant dyads will be randomized in a 1:1 ratio in two parallel groups: PWD to receive either usual care from primary or specialized providers (control group) or to receive usual care plus access to a tablet with the SMART4MD health application (intervention group). Participants in the trial will be assessed for a period of 18 months. After the baseline visit, all participants will have follow-up visits every 6 months together with a checkup of the PWDs capacity to remain in the study. In the follow up visits, investigators will assess the PWD's quality of life, their cognitive and functional status, adherence to prescribed medication and attendance at healthcare appointments and admissions to healthcare services institutions. Investigators will also assess the burden of the informal caregivers.

Dementias are neurodegenerative syndromes typical of the elderly population and causing a high degree of disability and sick of dependence on others for care. Caregivers of patients with dementia, especially those belonging to the same family suffer with high overhead and is often affected by losses in their own health. The aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of a psychoeducation and protocol support, conducted by telephone, in aid of patients with dementia caregivers in specialized outpatient treatment. It will be selected patients in outpatient specialized care. The primary outcome is the change in Zarit Scale.

A program that combines high intensity aerobic exercise (<85% of Heart Rate Reserve) with resistance, progressive and moderate intensity intervals, carried out in primary care, is effective in terms of a smaller increase in respect to the baseline measurement in the total score of the ADAS cognitive section (Alzheimer Disease Assessment Scale-Cognitive section),in the control group that receives an intervention similar to low intensity (30-40% of Heart rate reserve). We Expect a difference of at least 3 points between the means of the increments between the intervention and control group.

After diagnosis of a dementing illness, patients and their spouses have many concerns related to the disease and their future. This often leads to poor psychological well-being and reduced health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of the family. Support for Empowerment has been proven to be an effective method to improve prognosis of asthma, heart failure, osteoarthritis.and diabetes. However empowering interventions have not been studied in dementia. Therefore, the investigators aim was to examine, in an objective-oriented group intervention, the efficacy of empowerment support program (ESP) on the HRQoL of dementia patients and their spousal caregivers as well as on the sense of competence and psychological well-being of caregivers. Methods: During the years 2014 to 15, 180 dementia patients and their spouses will be recruited from memory clinics or day centers and randomized into two arms: 90 patients for group-based ESP sessions including topics selected by the participants and the use of the by us for us guides, 90 patients will serve as controls in usual community care. Sessions may include topics on dementia, active lifestyle and prevention for cognitive decline, spousal relationship, future planning and emotional well-being. The patients and spouses will have their separate group sessions (ten participants per group) once a week for eight weeks.

The object of this study is to investigate the use of linguistic deficits from speech samples for the early detection of Mild Cognitive Impairment and probable Alzheimer's disease. It will also evaluate whether the result of the Amyloid PET scan would confirm the effectiveness of a less expensive and less intrusive diagnostic technique through speech

The investigators want to evaluate the use of video-conference in the collaboration between the investigators psychogeriatric department and nursing homes. The study aim is to give supervision on a regular basis to the caregivers on a special care unit for patients with dementia with behavioural disturbances during a period of half a year. The investigators want to investigate the impact on caregivers and patients by applying certain tests at baseline, during the intervention and half a year after the intervention.

The purpose of this study is to learn about how trauma, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and mild traumatic brain injury that can occur during deployment affect the brain. The investigators also want to learn how PTSD and mild traumatic brain injury can affect the chance of developing Alzheimer disease later in life. The investigators will study this by using magnetic resonance imaging and positron emission tomography scans to obtain pictures of the brain.