Effect of "breath of Fresh Air" Flash Activity on Dementia Agitation : Pilot Study (DEMACTIFLASH)

Toulouse University Hospital

Status: Completed

Conditions: Dementia

Treatments: Other: Usual relation care; Other: Flash activity "breath of fresh air"

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT04094779

RC31/17/0348

Details and patient eligibility

About

Non-drug therapies (NDT) constitute a strong axis of the person with dementia behaviour management. Among these NDT, the flash activities constitute a mode of intervention to prevent and control the expression of the most disruptive behavior. These are short-term activities with the objective of decreasing the behavioural disorders intensity in less than 15 minutes.

The aim of this pilot study is to test the effect of a flash activity "breath of fresh air" compared to the usual relational care on the short-term decrease (15 min.) of the agitation in hospitalized dementia patients.

Full description

The "breath of fresh air" flash strategy is to offer the patient the possibility to go out of the medical unity and walking outdoor.

When the caregiver identify a level of agitation greater or equal to two on the gravity score and greater or equal to two on the impact score with the NPI test (The Neuropsychiatric Inventory Test), the caregiver let the patient wandering in the outside lanes of the hospital and encourage him to us his senses. For example, the sight could be stimulated by looking at a bird.

This variation of sensory stimulations enable a temporo-sensory break on the crisis, allowing the patient to turn his attention from the crisis context to another stimulation.

Enrollment: 28 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• New patients admitted in the unit to the management of the Psychological and Behavioural Symptoms of Dementia
• Dementia regardless of etiology and severity
• Score greater than 2 than NPI established on entry into service
• Free, informed and written consent signed by the person trust and/or family member and/or legal representative
• Health insurance membership

Exclusion criteria

• Absence of agitation
• Juveniles
• Pregnant women
• Patient who has previously participated in the study
• Persons under protection of justice

Trial design

Primary purpose: Other

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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28 participants in 2 patient groups

Usual relational care

Active Comparator group

Description:

Isolate the patient from the group of other patients in order to propose to him a a relationship dual with the caregiver to the aim to calm the agitation

Treatment:

Other: Usual relation care

Flash activity "breath of fresh air"

Experimental group

Description:

Isolate the patient from the group of other patients in order to propose to him in a relationship dual with the caregiver a physical activity outside the service that promotes relaxation by focusing his attention to the environment during 15 minutes

Treatment:

Other: Flash activity "breath of fresh air"

Other: Usual relation care