In week one, before the acupressure treatment began, physical attacks were given an average score of 5.53. These included pushing, beating, scratching and pinching.
Agitation levels were measured daily and by week two, when the treatment began, the physical attack score had fallen to 1.46. By week five, the last week of treatment, the score had fallen to 0.53. In week six, when the treatment had stopped, the figure rose to 2.17.
Verbal attacks, which included repeated questioning and shouting, showed a pre-treatment score of 2.81 in week one, 0.54 in week two and 0.29 in week five. By week six it had risen to 1.36.
Similar patterns were recorded for non-physical and non-verbal agitation, which included wandering, stealing, undressing and tearing things.
Wandering aimlessly was measured using pedometers. This reduced from an average of 5,368 steps a day in week one to 2,611 in week five. By week six it had risen again to 3,374.
Patients received acupressure based on five key pressure points Fengchi (GB 20), Baihui (Du 20), Shenmen (He 7), Niguan (Pe 6) and Sanyinjiao (Sp 6) after a short warm-up session which consisted of holding, rubbing and pressing the palms and finger joints on both hands.
Each acupressure point was pressed for two minutes using three to five kilograms of pressure.
"Our study showed that providing patients with acupressure twice-daily for five days a week significantly reduced agitated behaviour and wandering" says Professor Lin.
"This has important implications for the future care of dementia patients as it provides an effective option that, following training, can be carried out at home or in long-term care facilities."
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Contact: Annette Whibley
wizard.media@virgin.net
Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
22-Jan-2007