Scientists at the University of Liverpool have found how two molecules fight in the blood to control the spread of cancer cells.Researchers discovered that a large protein, which forms a protecti
The ecological phenomenon, known as Florida red tide, can be harmful for people with asthma. Florida red tides, an annual event in areas along the Gulf of Mexico, are blooms of the ocean organism, Karenia brevis (K brevis), that are concentrated along
Researchers from the Children's Hospital, Boston, USA and the Center for Science in the Public Interest, Washington, D. C., USA, have found that there is a high potential for research findings into non-alcoholic drinks to be affected by bias from compa
Parkinson's disease is one of the commonest afflictions caused by damage to the nerve cells of the brain. Patients suffer from muscular tremors and rigidity, and their movements are severely impaired. These symptoms arise as the result of the d
Olive oil has become part of the fight against the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) - the cause of AIDS - thanks to research carried out by the Bionat team, from the University of Granada, headed by Prof.
A review of published research from the University of Liege, Belgium, reveals a decline in the number of people experiencing allergic reactions to insulin. This is largely due to better purification of animal insulin and the introduction of human recom
Cincinnati burn researchers have created genetically modified skin cells that, when added to cultured skin substitutes, may help fight off potentially lethal infections in patients with severe burns.Dorothy Supp, PhD, and her team found that sk
Research published online in the European Heart Journal has found that the protective effect that tea has on the cardiovascular system is totally wiped out by adding milk.Tests on
A research team at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center and the University of Heidelberg has proven that a gene protects some people wit
Chemists at Ohio State University have probed an unusual high-energy state produced in single nucleotides - the building blocks of DNA and RNA - when they absorb ultraviolet (UV) light.This is the
Date: Monday, 20-Nov-2006
According to researchers in the Netherlands, occupational therapy improves the quality of life for dementia patients and their carers.The researchers say that occupational therapy can help to improve the ability of dementia sufferers to perform daily activities and can also reduce the pressure on their caregivers.
As the world's aging population continues to grow, dealing with dementia has become a costly business.
The effects of dementia such as a loss of independence, initiative and participation in social activities,and the impact on patients, families and their caregivers and is resulting in a spiralling of costs for both health and social care systems in the developed world.
The researchers were aware that previous research has suggested that non-pharmalogical treatment could have the same or better effects than drug treatment for people with dementia, so they set out to examine the effect of occupational therapy on people with dementia and their main carer.
The research team from the University Medical Center Nijmegen, randomly divided a group of 135 patients with mild to moderate dementia and their caregivers into two groups.
The first group received 10 home-based sessions of occupational therapy, provided by an experienced occupational therapist for a period of five weeks, while the second group received no occupational therapy.
The groups were then assessed six weeks and 12 weeks after the therapy sessions.
The researchers found that at both six weeks and three months, the patients who received occupational therapy functioned significantly better in daily life than those who did not.
Seventy five percent of those in the occupational therapy group showed an improvement in process skills and 82% needed less assistance in day to day tasks.
The therapy also had a knock-on effect as the primary caregivers who received occupational therapy felt significantly more competent than those who did not.
The researchers believe that occupational therapy is likely to be more effective than drugs or other psychosocial interventions, as the levels of improvement in their trial far outstripped the effects recorded in previous trials of drugs and other interventions.
The Dutch researchers say that they 'strongly advocate' the inclusion of occupational therapy in dementia management programmes.
Experts say they hope the results of the study will help change the attitude of health insurance companies and Medicare, who are often reluctant to fund occupational therapy for persons with dementia.
The study is published in the current edition of the British Medical Journal.