Objective Assessment of Behavioral Associations in Patients with Dementia

 描述(由申请人提供)： 痴呆症患者的抽象问题行为，如好斗、游荡和日落，是照顾者压力的主要来源，也是患者被送往精神病院的常见原因。基于这些行为障碍源于激动这一广为接受的概念，我们提出了一种新的方法，即使用皮肤电活动(EDA)来评估痴呆患者的激动程度。我们的目标是，首先，在患者的行为出现之前发现日益增加的焦虑感，其次，设计减少焦虑感的方法，以防止异常行为的出现。使用EDA治疗痴呆症患者的研究几乎还没有完成。文献表明，痴呆症患者的潜伏期和波幅与正常对照组相似，这意味着我们可以像使用标准的生物反馈技术一样探测个体的反应。由于现有数据的匮乏，我们将首先开发一套标准的方法来研究痴呆症患者的EDA并监测自发活动。我们团队开发了一种可穿戴设备，可以测量EDA并使用蓝牙传输。我们将对照通常的参考方法--指尖测量的皮肤电导率--来验证该设备。一旦得到验证，我们就可以监测痴呆症患者的长期自发EDA。这将使研究痴呆症患者的昼夜节律成为可能，这本身就很重要。这些长期研究将有助于确定可能先于激动的EDA活动。我们还将研究减少EDA的刺激，这是标准生物反馈技术要求患者不能独立完成的，可能会防止进展为问题激越。如果成功，这项工作可以减轻照顾者的负担，并帮助痴呆症患者在家中停留更长时间。

 DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Abstract Problem behaviors in demented patients, such as combativeness, wandering, and sundowning, are a major source of caregiver stress and a common reason for the institutionalization of the patient. Based on the well-accepted notion that these behavioral disturbances stem from agitation, we propose a novel approach of using electrodermal activity (EDA) to assess the degree of agitation in dementia patients. The goals are, first, to detect increasing agitation before it surfaces in the patient's behavior and, second, to devise methods of reducing the agitation to prevent the aberrant behavior from appearing. Almost no work has been done using EDA in dementia patients. The literature indicates that the latency and amplitude in dementia patients are similar to normal controls, implying that we can probe the individual's responses as with standard biofeedback techniques. Because of the paucity of data available, we will first develop a set of standard methods for studying EDA in dementia patients and monitoring spontaneous activity. Our group has developed a wearable device that will measure EDA and transmit it using Bluetooth. We will validate the device against the usual reference method, skin conductivity measured at the finger tips. Once validated, we can monitor long-term spontaneous EDA in dementia patients. This will allow the study of circadian rhythms in dementia patients, which is important in and of itself. These long term studies will aid in identifying EDA activity that may precede agitation. We will also study stimuli that decrease EDA, which the patient cannot do on his own as is required by standard biofeedback techniques and which may prevent the progression to problem agitation. If successful, this work could decrease caregiver burden and help dementia patients remain in their homes longer.