Agitation in dementia patients can be reduced without drugs

No laughing matter

One of the things that makes dementia so cruel is how it steals every bit of a loved one from you.

I remember watching my friend Pete’s dad go from forgetful to confused before he lost his memory completely and then started getting hostile.

Here was a man that had welcomed all the neighborhood kids into his home, fed us, played ball with us, took us camping…and suddenly, he was this shouting, nasty, angry man his family didn’t recognize.

And for some it gets worse than just being mean. Most dementia patients eventually suffer from agitation that’s often fierce enough to frighten family and friends.

Dementia agitation includes physical aggression, repetitive behavior, wandering, screaming, etc. And if you’ve ever seen it up close, you know just how awful it can be for patients, and how daunting it is for family and caretakers.

Antipsychotic drugs are typically prescribed for many of these patients. But researchers in Australia urge caregivers to try something else before filling prescriptions for drugs that may prompt dangerous adverse side effects.

Better than medicine

Comedian Dom Irerra says, “Laughter is the best medicine…except for medicine. Medicine is usually the best medicine.”

But our friends down under think it’s time to revise that joke.

A good torso-shaking laugh stimulates the release of endorphins — those famously feel-good biochemicals. In fact, your brain has vast numbers of special receptors that are always at the ready to receive and process endorphins.

But a rush of good feelings isn’t even the best part of the endorphin package.

Endorphin stimulation has been shown to reduce pain, mollify stress hormones, enhance the immune system, and help control blood pressure.

But how might laughter-fueled endorphins compete against prescription drugs?

Funny story…

Recently, researchers at Australia’s University of New South Wales teamed up with Arts Health Institute (AHI), an organization that trains “humor practitioners” who specialize in working with the elderly.

Together, they conducted a study in more than 35 assisted living facilities to test humor therapy in subjects with dementia and agitation.

After 12 weeks, researchers determined that agitation was reduced by 20 percent, on average.

That’s a remarkable effect because a 20 percent agitation reduction is about the same result seen in the use of antipsychotic drugs. But there was one big difference. When antipsychotic drugs are used in dementia patients, side effects include strokes and death.

Researchers weren’t surprised the therapy worked, but they were surprised by how long the beneficial effects lasted. In a follow-up at 26 weeks after the end of the therapy period, they found that agitation remained at the improved level.

If you know someone who’s suffering from dementia with agitation, humor therapy may be easier to come by than you might think. A recent survey found that 65 percent of U.S. hospitals now offer alternative treatments, and some include humor therapy, along with acupuncture and massage — two therapies that also happen to prompt endorphin release.

And if they don’t offer humor therapy, you can always sneak in a DVD player and a copy of The Pink Panther (the original, of course).

Sources:
“Laughter Lift” UNSW Media Office, University of New South Wales, 9/21/11, unsw.edu.au