Investigation of the relationship between behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia and sensory processing in individuals diagnosed with moderate alzheimer's type dementia

This study was planned to examine the relationship between behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia and sensory processing in individuals diagnosed with moderate-stage Alzheimer's Type Dementia. Sixty elderly were included in our study. Neuropsychiatric Inventory was used to evaluate the behavioral and psychiatric symptoms of the participants due to dementia, and the Adolescent/Adult Sensory Profile was used to evaluate their sensory processing processes. It was determined that individuals with severe behavioral problems scored higher in the low registration (x2=15,41, p=0,001) and sensory sensitivity (x2=14,97, p=0,001) quartiles than those with moderate behavioral problems. There was no statistically significant difference between individuals with moderate and severe behavioral problems in the sensory seeking and sensory avoiding quadrants (p>0,05). As a result of the correlation analysis of behavioral and psychiatric symptoms of dementia and sensory processing skills; a significant correlation was found between low registration scores and delusion (r=0,346, p=0,007), hallucination (r=0,429, p=0,001), agitation (r=0,397, p=0,002), apathy (r=0,323, p=0.01), abnormal motor behavior (r=0.281, p=0,03), sleep/night behavior (r=0,378, p=0,003), and appetite/eating behavior (r=0,428, p=0,001). There was a correlation between sensory seeking and delusions (r=0.261, p=0.044). Also, there was a correlation between sensory sensitivity and delusions (r=0,278, p=0,032), agitation (r=0,296, p=0,022, abnormal motor behavior (r=0,458, p=0.001), sleep/night behavior (r=0,285, p=0,027), and appetite/eating behavior (r=0,370, p=0,004). Sensory avoiding was found to have a statistically significant relationship with hallucination (r=0,352, p=0,006) and abnormal motor behavior (r=0,322, p=0,012). There was no statistically significant difference between depression, anxiety, elation, disinhibition and irritability and sensory processing quadrants (p>0,05). It is thought that the inclusion of sensory processing evaluations in occupational therapy evaluations and interventions for individuals with Alzheimer's type dementia will contribute to the management of behavioral and psychiatric symptoms of dementia.