The Effect of Therapeutic Touch on Agitated Behavior and Cortisol in Persons with Alzheimer’s Disease
Abstract
Agitated behavior in persons with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) presents a challenge to current interventions. Recent developments in neuroendocrinology suggest that changes in the hypothalamic-pituitaryadrenal (HPA) axis alter the responses of persons with AD to stress. Given the deleterious effects of pharmacological interventions in this vulnerable population, it is essential to explore noninvasive treatments for their potential to decrease a hyperresponsiveness to stress and indirectly decrease detrimental cortisol levels. This within-subject, interrupted time-series study was conducted to test the efficacy of therapeutic touch on decreasing the frequency of agitated behavior and salivary and urine cortisol levels in persons with AD. Ten subjects who were 71 to 84 years old and resided in a special care unit were observed every 20 minutes for 10 hours a day, were monitored 24 hours a day for physical activity, and had samples for salivary and urine cortisol taken daily. The study occurred in 4 phases: 1) baseline (4 days), 2) treatment (therapeutic touch for 5 to 7 minutes 2 times a day for 3 days), 3) posttreatment (11 days), and 4) post-“wash-out” (3 days). An analysis of variance for repeated measures indicated a significant decrease in overall agitated behavior and in 2 specific behaviors, vocalization and pacing or walking, during treatment and posttreatment. A decreasing trend over time was noted for salivary and urine cortisol. Although this study does not provide direct clinical evidence to support dysregulation in the HPA axis, it does suggest that environmental and behavioral interventions such as therapeutic touch have the potential to decrease vocalization and pacing, 2 prevalent behaviors, and may mitigate cortisol levels in persons with AD.
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The experimental group (therapeutic touch) experienced a statistically significant effect in reducing behavioral symptoms when compared to the group without any touch intervention (p = 0.036).
“The experimental group (therapeutic touch) experienced a statistically significant effect in reducing behavioral symptoms when compared to the group without any touch intervention (p = 0.036).”
From Nonpharmacological Interventions to Reduce Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia: A Systematic Review (2015) · cites this paper as [5]
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“Woods and Dimond [5] found that therapeutic touch can be used to decrease behavioral symptoms of dementia, specifically restlessness and vocalization.”
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Self-citation
- Authors
- Woods, D. L., & Dimond, M.
- Affiliations
- University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (US)
- Venue
- Biological Research For Nursing
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2002-10
- Volume
- 4
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 104-114
- ISSN
- 1099-8004 (ISSN-L)
- 1552-4175
- OpenAlex
- W2167693698
- Cited by
- 105
- References
- 67
- Citations by year
- 2025: 3 · 2024: 4 · 2023: 1 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 6 · 2020: 3 · 2019: 7 · 2018: 3 · 2017: 8 · 2016: 6 · 2015: 7 · 2014: 4 · 2013: 2 · 2012: 7
- FWCI
- 2.00
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Biological Research For Nursing (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Biofield Effects and Biophysics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Dementia and Cognitive Impairment Research
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Behavioral Neuroscience › Stress Responses and Cortisol
- Keywords
- therapeutic touch, Alzheimer's disease, agitation, cortisol, hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, stress response, salivary cortisol, urine cortisol, vocalizations, pacing behavior, non-pharmacological treatment, dementia care
- MeSH terms
- Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Alzheimer Disease, Analysis of Variance, Female, Humans, Hydrocortisone, Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System, Male, Nursing Assessment, Pilot Projects, Pituitary-Adrenal System, Psychiatric Status Rating Scales, Psychomotor Agitation, Saliva, Nursing Evaluation Research, Geriatric Assessment, Therapeutic Touch
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