Help at hand for dementia sufferers
The appeals court rebuffed a Google appeal on a secondary issue in the case, finding that YouTube had failed to act promptly enough to takedown infringing videos in seven of 12 cases brought before the court. The appeals court rebuffed a Google appeal on a secondary issue in the case, finding that YouTube had failed to act promptly enough to takedown infringing videos in seven of 12 cases brought before the court.
London - YouTube may be a powerful tool in helping ease the symptoms of dementia, a new study has found.
Researchers discovered that by watching video clips related to their interests, patients experienced improvement in mood and communication skills.
Dementia sufferers often have difficulty remembering recent events, which can lead to confusion, vulnerability and low confidence. But memories of events from years ago often remain intact and some research shows that recalling these memories can be therapeutic.
Known as “reminiscence therapy” this involves the discussion of past activities, events and experiences. Visual and audio memory aids, including videos, pictures, objects, archives and life-story books are used during therapy sessions to prompt conversation, interaction and to trigger memories.
Although there are conflicting opinions on whether this kind of therapy is effective, some studies have shown it to be beneficial in preventing memory loss, depression and anxiety.
In the new study, researchers at the Adelaide and Meath Hospital, Dublin, investigated the use of YouTube and its database of videos to promote group interaction, boost mental stimulation and improve communication skills.
Questionnaires on interests completed by patients or their carers were used to build a database of videos on YouTube. The material was then displayed and used to stimulate reminiscence and discussion. The YouTube archive was also used for live searching of new topics generated by people in the group. Topics included music, historical events and geographical locations.
Dementia affects about 820,000 Britons, with around half of these suffering the from Alzheimer’s disease. Within 15 years this figure will reach one million.
Hannah Clack, spokesperson for the Alzheimer’s Society, welcomes the study but warns: “Reminiscence therapy is a powerful way of helping empower people with dementia. Communication flows as memories return and occasionally a person who hasn’t spoken in long time will suddenly recall something with such clarity it can be truly special.
“But it can also throw up problems, like patients becoming upset at recalling a death. Carers and patients need to use a lot of common sense before starting any kind of discussion.” - The Mail on Sunday