Adaptive Interaction for Advanced Dementia: Physiological Impact
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Investigating the Physiological Impacts of Adaptive Interaction for Individuals with Advanced Dementia
IRAS ID
181016
Contact name
Maggie Ellis
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of St Andrews
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
N/A, N/A
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 1 months, 1 days
Research summary
People with advanced dementia who lack capacity often lose the ability to communicate using speech. Research suggests that these individuals retain the desire to connect with others (Ellis and Zeedyk, 2014). Reduced ability to communicate is known to create frustration (Stokes, 2000). Adaptive Interaction is a non-verbal communication technique which enables caregivers to interact with people with advanced dementia without capacity in a way that is meaningful to both parties. It involves mirroring the sounds and gestures of the individual with advanced dementia (Ellis and Astell, 2011). Behavioural research has shown that Adaptive Interaction can engage people with advanced dementia in social interactions and increase the amount and the range of their social behaviours (Ellis and Astell, 2008).
The aim of this project is to measure hormone levels to determine a link between Adaptive Interaction and physiological markers that could show reduced stress responses and increased feelings of connectedness. Cortisol and oxytocin levels will be measured as cortisol is the main stress hormone in humans (McEwen, 1998) and oxytocin is important in mediating social communication and interaction (Gimpl & Fahrenholz, 2001).
Participants will receive 20 minutes of one of the following 'interactions': Adaptive Interaction, closed questioning (caregivers often communicate with people with advanced dementia in this way), reading a neutral passage to the person by their bedside or leaving the person alone (as they would often be in the home setting). Saliva samples will be taken at three different times to measure levels of cortisol and oxytocin: before the interaction; after the condition to test for immediate effects and four hours later to test for prolonged effects.
If Adaptive Interaction reduces stress and facilitates social communication then we predict that we will find reduced cortisol and increased levels of oxytocin in patients undergoing the Adaptive Interaction condition compared to the other conditions.
REC name
Scotland A: Adults with Incapacity only
REC reference
15/SS/0122
Date of REC Opinion
30 Jul 2015
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion