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Self contained kits you use for staff in-service
Notebooks, interactive CDs & consulting services
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Research
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Our interventions would not have been available and effective if it were not for the published research of neurologists, psychologists, physicians and therapists. For specific information
on this research please contact our librarian at (800) 734 6186
SECONDARY RESEARCH
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APPLIED RESEARCH
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Research conducted by others upon which we based our designs...read more
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Research conducted for or by us to justify or refine interventions... read more
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CURRENT RESEARCH
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FUTURE RESEARCH
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Information on current research projects. Access is limited to research project partners... log in
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This allows prospective partners to submit ideas for collaborative non pharmacological research projects... to suggest
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Non-pharmacological Dementia Therapy is based on the recognition that most unwanted dementia patient behaviors are the result of progressive neural & neurochemical losses;
losses in the prefrontal lobes cause disinhibition & excess, extranious sensory stimulationlosses in the frontal lobes truncate short term memory & limit conscious processinglosses in the medial temporal lobe progressively degrade declarative memory processingAs a result of these losses the dementia patient is easily confused. Chronic confusion sets
the stage for overstimulation, understaimulation and cognitive dissonance.
A progressively lowered stress syndrome lowers the threshold for overstimulation Hypersensitivity to low stimulation also creates stress from insufficient stimulationCognitive dissonance occurs when wounded conscious processing conflicts with habits Unresolved stress generates adrenacortical response resulting in fight or flight behavior
Stress from over or understimulation, frustration or dissonance generate adrenalineAdrenaline increases breathing, blood pressure, muscle oxygen & induces behaviorsBehaviors are exhibited as fight (verbal/physical aggression) or flight (apathy/withdrawal)There are only two ways to avoid patient confusion-> stress-> fight/flight behaviors
maintain a prophylactic environment avoiding over or under stimulation and confusionprovide a continious stream of digesable stimulation to occupy conscious processingOur interventons do both.
Secondary Research
Engineered music is based upon three primary schools of research; dementia research, audition research, and neurological research. Dementia research defines the know limitations and remaining abilities of dementia patients, at a variety of stages, in both biological and neurological terms. Neurological research has grown recently, mainly due to new imaging techniques and the ability to understand ever lower levels of detail. Audition research has also grown, in large part to new neural imaging techniques and focus of key universities and researchers on the mental processing of music.
Applied Research
From inception we have relied on small trials to refine and justify our interventions.
Initial use of original products was justified in a large, early PACE program. The use of our interventions:
minimized behavior problems and reduced the transfer of participants to long term care facilities A subsequent trial of 26 home care patients:verified the efficacy of our interventions and justified reimbursement by the Monroe County Long Term Care Medicaid program A third trial, by MedAmerica, a long term care insurance company, foundour program was sufficiently efficacious to justify reimbursement for policyholders Our company is currently engaged in:a phase 1 clinical trial of engineered music vs. conventional music it's ability to moderate behaviors of moderately/severely dementia nursing home residentsour role is limited to supplying the engineered music the trial is not scheduled to be published until 1/2006 preliminary results are favorable We recently passed a trial for cost effectiveness in a major national nursing home chain:
cost effectiveness of interventions on standard care operationsability to increase therapy compliance and enduranceimprovement of dining behaviors & in food consumption