Alzheimer’s disease is a neurodegenerative disease that, unfortunately and due to an ageing population, is increasingly present. A cure has not yet been found, but different interventions can slow its progression or decrease the intensity of symptoms. An example would be sensory stimulation in people with Alzheimer’s disease.
This type of intervention focuses on the senses, in what reaches the person from the outside. Suppose a person with Alzheimer’s disease may have impaired their cognitive abilities, including their ability to regulate their emotions, but they won’t lose their most primitive ability: to feel. This is exactly what we want to take advantage of when performing sensory simulation.
- In this article we will examine what sensory stimulation is in people with Alzheimer’s disease.
- How it is performed and what its potential benefits are.
Alzheimer’s disease is a neurodegenerative disorder that affects different functions of the body, so it manifests itself on a physical, cognitive, emotional and behavioral level (executive functions).
One of the first indicators that triggers the alarm signal is memory loss, increased ina attention or disorientation (in time or space). The person needs more precise and spaced instructions to follow a plan, the initiative decreases and the breadth of vocabulary is also reduced, thus losing the accuracy of communication.
In addition, Alzheimer’s disease makes it difficult to perform the well-known and simple tasks of everyday life that the person used to perform with minimal resource expenditure, in addition, this has an emotional impact, since irritation and helplessness in the lost terrain can make a person very irascible.
There are different theories about its origin. Some refer to the formation of neurofibrillary loops, an abnormal conglomerate of proteins composed of small fibers intertwined in neurons in people with Alzheimer’s disease.
Tau protein is also involved in this process: it is the main component of the yarn.
When we talk about sensory stimulation, we mean a set of techniques and exercises that cause the senses to be activated by stimuli, so we are talking about a kind of awakening of the senses.
The purpose of this intervention is to promote the entry of sensory information into the nervous system, in this way we will facilitate the development of a set of sensations and perceptions.
Through this stimulation, the person learns what will serve as the basis and reinforcement for impaired cognitive functions, understanding the world around them and emotional expression.
Sensory stimulation in people with Alzheimer’s disease is a type of non-pharmacological intervention that helps during the disease process, it is about awakening the feelings and perceptions of patients.
To achieve the goal of sensory stimulation in people with Alzheimer’s disease, the following systems are stimulated:
However, the procedure is performed in multisensory rooms or Snoezelen, theatres that appeared in the 1970s in the Netherlands thanks to Hulsegge and Ad Verheul, these spaces encompass three types of activities: relaxation, interactivity and discovery.
On the other hand, multisensory stimulation in Snoezelen rooms is based on the sensory integration model, developed by Anne Jean Ayres, American occupational and neuroscientist therapist.
In this context, the cognitive, sensory, motor and psychosocial components are worked in three rooms: white room, dark room and adventure room. In addition, depending on the activity, there are passive and active rooms.
These activities are carried out by professionals from different fields of health: doctors, clinical psychologists, neuropsychologists, nurses and occupational therapists, among others.
The idea is to intervene in people with Alzheimer’s at different stages, but it is more favorable to do so in the early and intermediate stages of the disease.
We’ve already explained what sensory stimulation is in people with Alzheimer’s disease, but what are its benefits?
Certainly, this type of work must be done rigorously and requires self-organization, adaptation to the environment, creativity and motivated participation of those involved, according to Robayo and Rozo Reyes in their article for Colombian Journal of Psychiatry.
Therefore, there are techniques that ensure the well-being of people with Alzheimer’s, including sensory stimulation. Through this intervention, people with this disease go through several stages in order to have a better quality of life.