ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: Behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) are a heterogeneous constellation of non-cognitive symptoms and behaviours that can cause significant patient distress and present complex management challenges. Behavioural and pharmacological treatments are used to decrease the symptoms, preserve function and increase quality of life. In the treatment of individuals with a major neurocognitive disorder, non-pharmacological interventions are often preferred as first-line treatment over pharmacological interventions, which often have modest efficacy, notable side effects and significant risks. Multisensory stimulation (MSS) interventions have become increasingly popular in the treatment of BPSD, particularly with disease progression. The objective of this review paper is to provide a brief overview of the types of MSS interventions currently used in the treatment of major neurocognitive disorders.

METHODS: Searches for papers published in this area were conducted using PubMed and the Web of Science Core Collection. The searches were done for the period covering the past 20 years, and key phrases used were “multisensory stimulation for treatment of BPSD,” “multisensory stimulation for treatment of major cognitive disorders,” “multisensory stimulation for treatment of dementia” and “multisensory stimulation for treatment of neurodegenerative disorders.”

RESULTS: Multisensory environments, multisensory tools and multisensory group therapies are discussed. There is growing support for the use of MSS interventions to improve mood, behaviour and quality of life in seniors with dementia and BPSD. However, currently the utilization of these interventions is highly variable and strong evidence for their use is limited.

CONCLUSION: MSS interventions in the form of multisensory environments, tools and group therapies present tremendous potential as first-line treatments or as adjuncts to pharmacological interventions in the treatment of major neurocognitive disorders. However, the body of quality evidence that currently exists is limited. A lack of evidence does not necessarily mean a lack of efficacy, and there is a pressing need for studies with improved power and study design to determine the effectiveness of specific MSS interventions and to ascertain for whom they may be most beneficial.

摘要

目的：痴呆症的行为和心理症状（BPSD）是非认知症状和行为的异质组合，可能导致严重的患者痛苦并带来复杂的管理挑战。行为和药物治疗可减少症状，保留功能并提高生活质量。在治疗具有重大神经认知障碍的个体时，与药物干预相比，非药物干预通常是首选的一线治疗方法，而药物干预通常具有适度的疗效，显着的副作用和重大风险。多感官刺激（MSS）干预在BPSD的治疗中已越来越受欢迎，尤其是随着疾病的进展。

方法：使用PubMed和Web of Science核心合集对在该领域发表的论文进行搜索。在过去的20年中进行了搜索，使用的关键词为“用于BPSD的多感觉刺激”，“用于严重认知障碍的多感觉刺激”，“用于痴呆的多感觉刺激”和“多感觉刺激”。用于神经退行性疾病的治疗。”

结果：讨论了多感官环境，多感官工具和多感官小组疗法。人们越来越支持使用MSS干预措施来改善痴呆和BPSD老年人的情绪，行为和生活质量。但是，目前这些干预措施的使用情况千差万别，有力的证据证明它们的使用受到限制。

结论：以多感觉环境，工具和团体疗法的形式进行的MSS干预作为一线治疗或作为药物治疗的辅助手段，在治疗重大神经认知障碍方面具有巨大的潜力。但是，目前存在的大量质量证据有限。缺乏证据并不一定意味着缺乏疗效，因此迫切需要具有更强大功能和研究设计的研究，以确定特定MSS干预措施的有效性并确定对谁最有利。