Preventing Aggression in Veterans With Dementia
| Status: | Completed |
|---|---|
| Conditions: | Chronic Pain, Neurology, Psychiatric |
| Therapuetic Areas: | Musculoskeletal, Neurology, Psychiatry / Psychology |
| Healthy: | No |
| Age Range: | 60 - Any |
| Updated: | 4/21/2016 |
| Start Date: | May 2011 |
| End Date: | September 2015 |
This study tests whether education about memory and pain might help to prevent aggression in
persons with dementia who have pain. The overall goal of this intervention is to reduce the
risk of aggressive behavior by improving several areas of patient life that are known causes
of aggression: pain, depression, lack of pleasurable activities, caregiver stress and
difficulty in caregiver-patient communication.
persons with dementia who have pain. The overall goal of this intervention is to reduce the
risk of aggressive behavior by improving several areas of patient life that are known causes
of aggression: pain, depression, lack of pleasurable activities, caregiver stress and
difficulty in caregiver-patient communication.
Dementia is known primarily for its effects on memory, however, eighty percent of persons
with dementia also have behavioral disturbances. This is often not addressed, leading to
increased use of nursing homes, higher incidence of injury (both patient and caregiver) and
the use of tranquilizing medications. Pain is one of the strongest predictors of aggression.
The prevalence of pain in persons with dementia is known to be about 50%. Untreated pain is
associated with significant negative outcomes, including increased health care use,
inactivity and isolation. The investigators aim to determine whether outcome differences
exist between active intervention and control conditions in relation to the occurrence of
aggressive behavior, pain and depression, and its impact on pleasant activities, caregiver
burden, quality of caregiver-patient relationship, antipsychotic use, health-service use,
injuries to patient and caregiver, and nursing home placement. The active intervention,
Preventing Aggression in Veterans with Dementia (PAVeD), is a family caregiver-focused,
home-based intervention that uses psychoeducational and behavioral approaches to help reduce
the risk of aggressive behavior in persons with dementia. The objective of PAVeD is to
improve several areas of patient life that are known causes of aggression: pain and distress
(including mood problems), lack of pleasurable activities, and difficulty in
patient-caregiver communication that may negatively affect relationship quality and
caregivers' recognition of pain.
with dementia also have behavioral disturbances. This is often not addressed, leading to
increased use of nursing homes, higher incidence of injury (both patient and caregiver) and
the use of tranquilizing medications. Pain is one of the strongest predictors of aggression.
The prevalence of pain in persons with dementia is known to be about 50%. Untreated pain is
associated with significant negative outcomes, including increased health care use,
inactivity and isolation. The investigators aim to determine whether outcome differences
exist between active intervention and control conditions in relation to the occurrence of
aggressive behavior, pain and depression, and its impact on pleasant activities, caregiver
burden, quality of caregiver-patient relationship, antipsychotic use, health-service use,
injuries to patient and caregiver, and nursing home placement. The active intervention,
Preventing Aggression in Veterans with Dementia (PAVeD), is a family caregiver-focused,
home-based intervention that uses psychoeducational and behavioral approaches to help reduce
the risk of aggressive behavior in persons with dementia. The objective of PAVeD is to
improve several areas of patient life that are known causes of aggression: pain and distress
(including mood problems), lack of pleasurable activities, and difficulty in
patient-caregiver communication that may negatively affect relationship quality and
caregivers' recognition of pain.
Inclusion Criteria:
Patients will be eligible to participate in the study if they meet the following criteria:
- have a documented diagnosis of dementia
- receive primary care from the VA
- reside outside a long-term care facility
- live within 45 minutes of the MEDVAMC
- have mild-to-moderate dementia
- have no history of aggression in the past year
- have a caregiver who is directly involved with the patient:
- at least 8 hours per week
- sees the patient at least twice a week
- and speaks English
- report clinically significant pain (either directly or through the caregiver as a
proxy)
Exclusion Criteria:
Patients will be excluded if they have had history of aggression in the past year
- We will administer the aggression subscale of the Cohen-Mansfield Agitation Inventory
(CMAI)
- Aggression will be considered present if any of the following items are endorsed as
having occurred over the prior year:
- spitting
- cursing/verbal aggression
- hitting
- kicking
- grabbing
- pushing
- throwing
- biting
- scratching
- hurting self/others
- tearing things/destroying property
- making inappropriate verbal sexual advances
- or making inappropriate physical sexual advances
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