[Creative therapy options for patients with dementia--a systematic review]

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Psychiatry
• Therapeutic Recreation

Background:

• Dementia significantly impacts patients' cognitive and communication abilities.
• Creative therapies offer a nonverbal approach to engage dementia patients.
• Improving quality of life and acceptance of illness are key goals in dementia care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review the implementation and effects of active creative therapies in dementia treatment.
• To assess the benefits of music, art, drama, and dance therapy for individuals with dementia.

Main Methods:

• Systematic review of studies from Medline, Psyndex Plus, PsychInfo, and Cochrane databases.
• Search terms included variations of "creative therapy," "dementia," and specific therapy types.
• Analysis of quantitative controlled studies, prae-post comparisons, and qualitative studies published since 1998.

Main Results:

• Identified seven quantitative controlled studies, three prae-post comparisons, and three qualitative studies.
• Creative therapies demonstrated positive effects, notably improving patient interaction skills.
• Studies consistently included groups of at least three participants.

Conclusions:

• Creative therapies provide a valuable nonverbal means to support dementia patients.
• Evidence supports the use of creative therapies for enhancing patient acceptance and coping mechanisms.
• Further development and validation of assessment instruments are needed to quantify outcomes like liveliness and agility.