A randomized, controlled, single-blinded, between group study of 24 participants with moderate to severe dementia was conducted on a geriatric psychiatric unit. All participants received pharmacological therapy, occupational therapy, structured hospital environment, and were randomized to receive multi sensory behavior therapy (MSBT) or a structured activity session. Greater independence in activities of daily living (ADLs) was observed for the group treated with MSBT and standard psychiatric inpatient care on the Katz Index of Activities of Daily Living (KI-ADL; P = 0.05) than standard psychiatric inpatient care alone. The combination treatment of MSBT and standard psychiatric care also reduced agitation and apathy greater than standard psychiatric inpatient care alone as measured with the Pittsburgh Agitation Scale and the Scale for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms in Alzheimer's Disease (P = 0.05). Multiple regression analysis predicted that within the multi-sensory group, activities of daily living (KI-ADL) increased as apathy and agitation reduced (R2 = 0.42; p = 0.03). These data suggest that utilizing MSBT with standard psychiatric inpatient care may reduce apathy and agitation and additionally improve activities of daily living in hospitalized people with moderate to severe dementia more than standard care alone.

Dementia is a growing problem worldwide and interventions to effectively manage and promote function are urgently required. Multisensory environments (MSEs) have been used extensively with people with dementia; however, no studies have been conducted to explore the efficacy of sensory stimulation on functional performance. This study explores to what extent multisensory stimulation influences functional performance in people with moderate-to-severe dementia using an MSE compared with a control activity. Thirty participants with moderate-to-severe dementia were recruited from the South of England. Following baseline assessment and design of a bespoke intervention, each participant attended their allocated intervention (3 x week, for 4 weeks). Assessments were carried out pre and postsession using the Assessment of Motor and Process Skills. Results indicate significant improvement in functional performance in both the MSE and the control activity. Findings support the use of MSEs as a strategy for enhancing functional performance in dementia.

Assessment is paramount in the process of selecting appropriate treatment media. This paper presents an overview of suitable assessment procedures that may be used with older people with dementia in order to formulate a multisensory environment therapy programme. Primarily, current literature is explored, in terms of both the assessment procedures used prior to using the multisensory environment and the research outcomes. Secondly, an overview is given of two successful assessment procedures used, which integrate applied behaviour analysis and developmental approaches. This will provide the therapist with an assessment framework to determine the sensory preferences of older people with dementia, who may benefit from the multisensory environment.

This paper introduces Functional Analytic Multisensory Environmental Therapy (FAMSET) for use with elders with dementia while using a multisensory environment/snoezelen room. The model introduces behavioral theory and practice to the multisensory environment treatment, addressing assessment, and, within session techniques, integrating behavioral interventions with emotion-oriented care. A modular approach is emphasized to delineate different treatment phases for multisensory environment therapy. The aim of the treatment is to provide a safe and effective framework for reducing the behavioral disturbance of the disease process, increasing elder well-being, and to promote transfer of positive effects to other environments outside of the multisensory treatment room.