Warmth and Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) in Improving Cognitive Functions in People With Dementia

Dementia Clinical Trial

Official title: Efficacy of Warmth and Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) in Improving Cognitive Functions and Behavioral Symptoms in Older Adults With Dementia: A Randomized, Controlled Clinical Trial

Status Recruiting

Clinical Trial Summary

Evidence showed that both TENS and passive body heating are potential treatment strategies for improving cognitive functions in people with dementia. It is hypothesized that hat device (Warmth +TENS) over the 4 acupuncture points would induce a greater improvement in cognitive functions and behavioural symptoms when compared with other hat devices (Warmth + placebo-TENS; TENS only; Warmth alone) and Control (hat device with no warmth and no TENS).

Clinical Trial Description

Acupuncture, a primary therapeutic method in traditional Chinese medicine, has been used for patients with dementia to improve memory, orientation, calculation, and self-managing ability in patients having dementia and prevent decline of cognitive functions. Results of animal studies have demonstrated that electroacupuncture on the head region is effective in managing the symptoms associated with dementia, including vascular dementia.

A review of 8 studies on effects of TENS on non-pain related cognitive and behavioural functioning in patients with Alzheimer's disease and non-demented patients concluded that TENS could improve memory, affective behaviour and rest-activity rhythm in patients having Alzheimer's disease.

Passive body heating is another novel physical intervention strategy which potentially can relieve the symptoms of dementia. A previous study demonstrated that the attention function of 15 elderly, measured by the reaction time in the Rapid Visual Processing Test, improved after passive body heating via a thermal suit. Moreover, 30 minutes of hot-water immersion improved the sleep quality in 13 people with vascular dementia. ;

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Dementia

• NCT number: NCT03614962
• Study type: Interventional
• Source: The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
• Contact: SSM Ng, PhD
• Phone: +852 2766-4889
• Email: shamay.ng@polyu.edu.hk
• Status: Recruiting
• Phase: N/A
• Start date: March 1, 2019
• Completion date: December 2, 2024