Prior to the interventions, agitation was significantly more severe in the aroma-acupressure and aromatherapy groups compared with the control group, and the CMAI score was significantly higher in the post-test and post-three-week assessments compared with the pre-test.
To test the effect of a complex guideline-based intervention on agitation and psychotropic prescriptions.
In line with outcomes observed in the pilot study and similar outcomes in other research using an individualised intervention for agitation reduction, 15 16 a total sample size of 345 participants, 115 in each group, will be required to detect a 25% reduction in agitation level (at a power of 0.90, α=0.05).
In a systematic review of non-pharmacological interventions for agitation in dementia from 2009, no exercise interventions were included due to low methodological quality [ 26].
Specific medical, supportive, social or psychological interventions in agitation require further evidence.
6 In another trial, individualised psychosocial interventions reduced agitation but had no effect on quality of life.
Among these studies, program activities were more frequent (five studies) and the symptoms more responsive to the interventions were agitation.
Based on the magnitude of improvement in randomised controlled trials of non-drug interventions for agitation in residents of nursing homes, 21 we estimated that a 25% greater reduction of Cohen-Mansfield agitation inventory score in the intervention group compared with control group would indicate equivalence to the best currently available approaches.
These multiple targets might discourage even the most well-intentioned caregivers and while it may appear that our recommendations are heavy artillery for treating AB with little real clinical application, a recent intervention study on agitation in long-term care [ 43] has been successful in targeting multiple risk factors for agitation, while remaining realistic in terms of clinical practice.
Simulated family presence has been shown to be an effective nonpharmacological intervention to reduce agitation in persons with dementia in nursing homes.
