 According
to quote below, sensory stimulation in dementia can apply toward
therapy for dementia. It
says that by using the five senses in a certain order, this
sequence will make sensory stimulation more effective.
For example, it says to stimulate the sense of smell
first because this is “primitive” and the sense from smell
to the brain is fast. The
article says to use the sense of taste last.
“What led you to develop the Bright
Eyes intervention?
I developed the intervention after
reading the work of Carol Bowlby, who is an occupational
therapist from Halifax, Nova Scotia. Actually, it represents a
practical, clinical application of her work. She first described
her work using sensory stimulation applied in a sensory
hierarchy, which begins with stimulating the sense of smell,
then kinesthetic/movement ( gross motor activity) , and then
moves to stimulate in turn the sense of touch, the sense of
vision, then hearing, and finally the sense of taste. In her
model, these senses are stimulated in this order for a reason.
The sense of smell is a very primitive sense. I mean, the
neuropath that goes from the olfactory nerve to the brain is
fairly short and direct, so even someone with advanced dementia
or even someone who is unconscious might still have access to
that sensory pathway. Using smelling salts, for example, can
rouse someone who's passed out. It's the same kind of effect
that you can get using a less noxious olfactory/sensory cue:
people with dementia become awakened, in a way, through
smell.”
- http://www2.edc.org/lastacts/archives/archivesJune99/featureinn1.asp
- Bright Eyes, A
Sensory Stimulation Intervention for Patients with Advanced
Dementia: An
Interview with Scott A.Trudeau, MA, OTR/L
According to editorial
below, using sensory stimulation as an alternative form of
therapy before admitting a patient into an institution must be
done first, in addition to other types of therapy.
However, the point of view does recognize that drugs may
be necessary as an intervention in scary and self-harmful cases.
BMJ
2002;325:1312-1313 ( 7 December ) Editorials
"Sensory stimulation in
dementia"
"An
effective option for managing behavioural problems"
"Most older people with dementia at
some point in their illness develop psychiatric symptoms or
behavioural disturbances such as agitation,
aggression, depression, delusions, wandering, sleep disturbance,
and hallucinations. Collectively, these are termed behavioural
and psychological symptoms of dementia…Read
more."
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