Clinical Research Directory

Integrative Therapeutic Programme to Regulate Expressed Emotions Among Informal Caregivers of People With Dementia

The dual-modal (face-to-face and online approaches), client-customized Caregivers Of dementia Processing Emotions (COPE) programme aims to 1. reduce caregivers' Expressed Emotion (EE), 2. reduce caregivers' depressive symptoms, 3. reduce the behaviourally interactive social dynamic of maladaptation (i.e., dysfunctional dyadic relationship and quality of care), and 4. improve caregivers' perceived stress from PwD's Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia (BPSD). Researchers will compare COPE to a control group (standard therapy) to examine how effective the COPE programme is. Participants will take part in: Pretest prior to COPE implementation Post-test after COPE completion Follow up test in 3 months after COPE completion

Psychosocial Intervention for Behavioral Symptoms in Hospitalized Patients With Dementia or Delirium

Behavioral and psychological symptoms are common among older adults hospitalized with dementia or delirium and may include agitation, wandering, delusions, hallucinations, aggression, oppositional behavior, and sleep disturbances. These symptoms can increase the risk of falls, prolonged hospitalization, functional decline, institutionalization, and caregiver burden. Pharmacological treatment and physical restraint may be ineffective or may worsen clinical outcomes, while evidence on non-pharmacological interventions in acute hospital settings remains limited. The ESSECOA study is a single-center, randomized, controlled, open-label trial conducted in the Geriatric Unit of the Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Modena. It evaluates whether adding a structured psychosocial intervention to standard pharmacological management is more effective than standard pharmacological management alone in reducing behavioral disturbances in hospitalized patients aged over 65 years with dementia and/or delirium. Eligible participants are randomized to one of two parallel groups. The control group receives pharmacological management according to clinical guidelines and best practice. The intervention group receives the same pharmacological management plus sensory and general stimulation sessions three times per week, lasting approximately 40 minutes each. The intervention is individualized according to the patient's history, preferences, target symptoms, and residual abilities. Caregivers are involved during the stimulation sessions and receive two structured educational interventions, one during hospitalization and one before discharge, aimed at improving communication and management strategies that can also be used at home. The primary objective is to compare the change in behavioral symptoms between groups using the Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI). Secondary objectives are to identify which behavioral symptoms respond best to the non-pharmacological approach, particularly in relation to caregiver education. Additional assessments include delirium, cognitive and functional status, depression, comorbidity, antipsychotic medication use, length of hospital stay, discharge destination, healthcare use, mortality, caregiver burden, perceived competence, and perceived needs.

Electroacupuncture Treatment of Behavioral and Psycological Symptoms in Patients With Alzheimer's Disease

This study aims to establish a prospective case registration research platform for electroacupuncture in treating behavioral and psychological symptoms in patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease, and to investigate the dose-effect relationship and cost-effectiveness of electroacupuncture for these symptoms.