[Non-pharmacological Therapies of Dementia - an Update]

Non-pharmacological Therapies of Dementia - an Update Abstract: Non-pharmacological interventions for people with dementia are intended to improve quality of life and well-being, alleviate psychopathological and behavioral symptoms, and also offer caregivers support and opportunities to promote resilience. Against the background of the multiple failures in the field of pharmacological-therapeutic research, these approaches have become increasingly important. This is an up-to-date overview of the most important non-drug interventions for people with dementia and related recommendations for therapeutic use according to the current state of research and the recommendations of AWMF S3 guideline "dementia". The most important interventions from this therapeutic spectrum are cognitive stimulation to maintain cognitive functioning, physical activation, and creative therapeutic offers to promote communication skills and social participation. In the meantime, access to these diverse psychosocial interventions has also been supplemented by digital technology. What these interventions have in common is that they are based on the individual cognitive and physical resources of those affected, improve quality of life and mood, and promote participation and self-efficacy. In addition to psychosocial interventions, nutrition-related approaches ("medical food") and non-invasive neurostimulation have recently also shown potential in the context of non-drug therapy for people with dementia.