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Apathy in Nursing Home Residents with Dementia: Results From A Cluster-Randomized Controlled Trial☆

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 April 2020

Y. Treusch ,
T. Majic ,
J. Page ,
H. Gutzmann ,
A. Heinz  and
M.A. Rapp
Y. Treusch
Affiliation:
Geriatric Psychiatry Center, Psychiatric University Hospital St. Hedwig, Große Hamburger Str. 5–11, 10115Berlin, Germany Institute of Occupational Therapy, School of Health Professions, Zurich University of Applied Sciences, Technikumstrasse 71, 8401Winterthur, Switzerland Social and Preventive Medicine, Department of Sports and Health Sciences, University of Potsdam, Am Neuen Palais 10, 14469Potsdam, Germany
T. Majic
Affiliation:
Geriatric Psychiatry Center, Psychiatric University Hospital St. Hedwig, Große Hamburger Str. 5–11, 10115Berlin, Germany
J. Page
Affiliation:
Institute of Occupational Therapy, School of Health Professions, Zurich University of Applied Sciences, Technikumstrasse 71, 8401Winterthur, Switzerland
H. Gutzmann
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Krankenhaus Hedwigshoehe, Höhensteig 1, 12526Berlin, Germany
A. Heinz*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité Campus Mitte, Charitéplatz 1, 10117Berlin, Germany
M.A. Rapp
Affiliation:
Geriatric Psychiatry Center, Psychiatric University Hospital St. Hedwig, Große Hamburger Str. 5–11, 10115Berlin, Germany Social and Preventive Medicine, Department of Sports and Health Sciences, University of Potsdam, Am Neuen Palais 10, 14469Potsdam, Germany Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité Campus Mitte, Charitéplatz 1, 10117Berlin, Germany
*
*Corresponding author. Tel.: +49 30 450 517 002; fax: +49 30 450 517 921. E-mail address:[email protected] (A. Heinz).
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Abstract

Purpose:

Here we evaluate an interdisciplinary occupational and sport therapy intervention for dementia patients suffering from apathy.

Subjects and methods:

A prospective, controlled, rater-blinded, clinical trial with two follow-ups was conducted as part of a larger cluster-randomized trial in 18 nursing homes in Berlin. n = 117 dementia patients with apathy, defined as a score of 40 or more on the apathy evaluation scale (AES) or presence of apathy on the Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI), were randomly assigned to intervention or control group. The intervention included 10 months of brief activities, provided once a week. The primary outcome measure was the total score on the AES scale measured directly after the intervention period and again after 12 months.

Results:

We found significant group differences with respect to apathy during the 10 month intervention period (F2,82 = 7.79, P < 0.01), which reflected an increase in apathy in the control group, but not in the intervention group. Within one year after the intervention was ceased, the treatment group worsened and no longer differed significantly from the control group (P = 0.55).

Conclusions:

Our intervention was effective for the therapy of apathy in dementia, when applied, but not one year after cessation of therapy.

Keywords

DementiaApathyNon-pharmacological interventionOccupational therapySport therapy
Type
Original article
Information
European Psychiatry , Volume 30 , Issue 2 , February 2015 , pp. 251 - 257
Copyright
Copyright © Elsevier Masson SAS 2014

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Footnotes

☆

Trial Registration: Identifier: ISRCTN43578978.

1

Tel.: +41 58 934 6524; fax: +4158 935 6524.

2

Tel.: +49 30 23 11 – 29 75.

3

Tel.: +41 58 934 6345; fax: +41 58 935 6345.

4

Tel.: +49 3030 6741 3001; fax: +49 30 6741 3002.

5

Tel.: + 49 331 977 4095; fax: + 49 331 977 4078.

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