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Effects of Snoezelen Multisensory Therapy on Older Adults With Dementia (SMT)

12 de junio de 2026 actualizado por: University of Primorska

Randomized Controlled Trial on the Effects of Snoezelen Multisensory Therapy on Behavioral, Psychological, and Physiological Symptoms in Older Adults With Dementia

This randomized, controlled, longitudinal clinical trial investigates the effects of Snoezelen Multisensory Therapy (SMT) as an adjunct to standard therapy (ST) in older adults with dementia. Sixty participants with mild to moderate cognitive impairment and behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) will be recruited from the Center for Older Adults Lucija (Slovenia). Participants will be randomized into two groups: control (ST) and experimental (ST + SMT). SMT will be administered 3 times per week for 12 weeks. Primary outcomes include changes in agitation (CMAI), depression (CSDD), anxiety (HADS), physiological indicators (heart rate, HR variability, SpO2, skin conductance, salivary cortisol), and frequency of psychiatric medication use. Subjective well-being will also be tracked before and after each session.

Descripción general del estudio

Estado

Terminado

Condiciones

Descripción detallada

Dementia is a growing public health concern, with high rates of behavioral and psychological symptoms (BPSD), such as depression, agitation, and anxiety. Non-pharmacological therapies like Snoezelen Multisensory Therapy (SMT) are increasingly explored as safe and effective alternatives or complements to standard therapy (ST).

This randomized controlled clinical trial will evaluate the acute and chronic effects of SMT in 60 patients with dementia at the Center for Older Adults Lucija, Slovenia. Participants will be stratified by medication use and cognitive status and randomly assigned to either an experimental group receiving SMT + ST, or a control group receiving ST alone. SMT consists of 30-minute sessions in a multisensory room equipped according to Snoezelen® guidelines. Sessions will be personalized and monitored, including physiological measurements before and after therapy.

Primary outcomes will include changes in BPSD measured by the Cornell Scale for Depression in Dementia (CSDD), the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and the Cohen-Mansfield Agitation Inventory (CMAI). Physiological indicators such as heart rate (HR), heart rate variability (HRV), oxygen saturation (SpO2), skin conductance, and salivary cortisol will be collected before and after the 1st and 36th sessions. Medication use (PRN) will be tracked every two weeks.

The study includes translation and validation of BPSD assessment tools into Slovenian. Results are expected to contribute valuable data to the field of dementia care and support broader implementation of SMT in geriatric settings. This study was registered retrospectively on ClinicalTrials.gov after study completion.

Tipo de estudio

Intervencionista

Inscripción (Actual)

60

Fase

  • No aplica

Contactos y Ubicaciones

Esta sección proporciona los datos de contacto de quienes realizan el estudio e información sobre dónde se lleva a cabo este estudio.

Ubicaciones de estudio

      • Portorož, Eslovenia, 6320
        • Center for Older Adults Lucija

Criterios de participación

Los investigadores buscan personas que se ajusten a una determinada descripción, denominada criterio de elegibilidad. Algunos ejemplos de estos criterios son el estado de salud general de una persona o tratamientos previos.

Criterio de elegibilidad

Edades elegibles para estudiar

  • Adulto Mayor

Acepta Voluntarios Saludables

No

Descripción

Inclusion Criteria:

Age 65 years or older

Diagnosed dementia (any subtype)

Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) score between 10-25

Katz Performance Status Score (KPSS) between 10-24

Behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD), indicated by at least one of the following:

Cornell Scale for Depression in Dementia (CSDD) score >10

Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) score >8

Cohen-Mansfield Agitation Inventory (CMAI) showing moderate or severe symptoms

Ability to follow basic instructions and communicate needs

Written informed consent obtained from the participant or their legal representative

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Acute psychiatric illness or unstable somatic condition

Severe visual or hearing impairments

Inability to communicate in Slovenian

Concurrent participation in psychotherapy or physiotherapy

Diagnosis of epilepsy

Changes to psychiatric medication within 4 weeks prior to study start

Any other condition that, in the opinion of the research team, would interfere with participation or data collectio

Plan de estudios

Esta sección proporciona detalles del plan de estudio, incluido cómo está diseñado el estudio y qué mide el estudio.

¿Cómo está diseñado el estudio?

Detalles de diseño

  • Propósito principal: Tratamiento
  • Asignación: Aleatorizado
  • Modelo Intervencionista: Asignación paralela
  • Enmascaramiento: Ninguno (etiqueta abierta)

Armas e Intervenciones

Grupo de participantes/brazo
Intervención / Tratamiento
Experimental: SMT + Standard Therapy
Participants in this group will receive standard therapy routinely provided at the care center in addition to Snoezelen Multisensory Therapy (SMT). SMT will be delivered individually in a Snoezelen-designed multisensory room for 30 minutes, three times per week, over a 12-week period. Sessions will be tailored to each participant's sensory profile and preferences.
A non-pharmacological, individualized sensory stimulation therapy delivered in a Snoezelen-designed multisensory environment. Sessions include visual, auditory, tactile, and olfactory stimuli tailored to the participant's sensory profile and preferences. The intervention is delivered individually for 30 minutes, three times per week, over a 12-week period and is intended to reduce behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia and improve well-being.
Otros nombres:
  • SMT
  • Snoezelen
  • MSS
  • Multisensory stimulation
Standard therapy refers to routine care provided in the residential care setting and includes cognitive stimulation activities, group social interactions, occupational therapy, physical therapy, creative activities (e.g., art and music sessions), reminiscence therapy, and relaxation practices. These interventions are delivered by trained staff as part of the regular care program. No Snoezelen Multisensory Therapy or other multisensory stimulation interventions are provided as part of standard therapy.
Otros nombres:
  • S T
  • Terapia ocupacional
  • Entrenamiento Cognitivo
  • Atención de rutina
  • Group Social Engagement
Comparador activo: Standard Therapy Only
Participants in this group will receive standard therapy routinely provided at the care center, including cognitive stimulation activities (e.g., memory games, orientation exercises, attention and problem-solving tasks), group social interactions, occupational therapy, physical therapy, creative activities (e.g., art and music sessions), reminiscence therapy, and relaxation practices. No Snoezelen Multisensory Therapy (SMT) will be provided.
Standard therapy refers to routine care provided in the residential care setting and includes cognitive stimulation activities, group social interactions, occupational therapy, physical therapy, creative activities (e.g., art and music sessions), reminiscence therapy, and relaxation practices. These interventions are delivered by trained staff as part of the regular care program. No Snoezelen Multisensory Therapy or other multisensory stimulation interventions are provided as part of standard therapy.
Otros nombres:
  • S T
  • Terapia ocupacional
  • Entrenamiento Cognitivo
  • Atención de rutina
  • Group Social Engagement

¿Qué mide el estudio?

Medidas de resultado primarias

Medida de resultado
Medida Descripción
Periodo de tiempo
Change in agitation level as measured by Cohen-Mansfield Agitation Inventory (CMAI)
Periodo de tiempo: Baseline, Week 2, Week 4, Week 6, Week 8, Week 10, and Week 12
The Cohen-Mansfield Agitation Inventory (CMAI) is used to measure the frequency of agitated behaviors in elderly participants with dementia. Scores range from 29 to 203, with higher scores indicating more frequent agitation.
Baseline, Week 2, Week 4, Week 6, Week 8, Week 10, and Week 12
Change in depressive symptoms as measured by Cornell Scale for Depression in Dementia (CSDD)
Periodo de tiempo: Baseline, Week 2, Week 4, Week 6, Week 8, Week 10, and Week 12
The CSDD assesses signs of depression in individuals with dementia. Scores range from 0 to 38, with higher scores indicating more severe depression.
Baseline, Week 2, Week 4, Week 6, Week 8, Week 10, and Week 12
Change in anxiety level (HADS-Anxiety Subscale)
Periodo de tiempo: Baseline, Week 2, Week 4, Week 6, Week 8, Week 10, and Week 12
HADS-A is a validated subscale that measures anxiety in older adults. Scores range from 0 to 21, with higher values indicating greater anxiety.
Baseline, Week 2, Week 4, Week 6, Week 8, Week 10, and Week 12
Change in heart rate
Periodo de tiempo: Immediately before and immediately after Session 1 (Baseline), and immediately before and immediately after Session 36 (Week 12)
Heart rate is measured using wearable physiological sensors as an indicator of autonomic arousal and physiological response.
Immediately before and immediately after Session 1 (Baseline), and immediately before and immediately after Session 36 (Week 12)
Change in subjective well-being using a self-reported analog scale
Periodo de tiempo: Immediately before and immediately after each SMT session, three times per week for 12 weeks (36 sessions total)
Participants report their mood, comfort, and overall well-being on a self-reported visual analog scale ranging from 0 to 5 before and after each SMT session.
Immediately before and immediately after each SMT session, three times per week for 12 weeks (36 sessions total)
Change in heart rate variability (HRV)
Periodo de tiempo: Immediately before and immediately after Session 1 (Baseline), and immediately before and immediately after Session 36 (Week 12)
Heart rate variability (HRV) is measured using wearable physiological sensors as an indicator of autonomic nervous system regulation and physiological response to therapy.
Immediately before and immediately after Session 1 (Baseline), and immediately before and immediately after Session 36 (Week 12)
Change in skin conductance
Periodo de tiempo: Immediately before and immediately after Session 1 (Baseline), and immediately before and immediately after Session 36 (Week 12)
Skin conductance is measured using wearable physiological sensors as an indicator of autonomic arousal and stress response
Immediately before and immediately after Session 1 (Baseline), and immediately before and immediately after Session 36 (Week 12)
Change in oxygen saturation (SpO₂)
Periodo de tiempo: Immediately before and immediately after Session 1 (Baseline), and immediately before and immediately after Session 36 (Week 12)
Peripheral oxygen saturation (SpO₂) is measured using wearable physiological sensors as an indicator of oxygenation status during therapy.
Immediately before and immediately after Session 1 (Baseline), and immediately before and immediately after Session 36 (Week 12)
Change in salivary cortisol concentration
Periodo de tiempo: Immediately before and immediately after Session 1 (Baseline), and immediately before and immediately after Session 36 (Week 12)
Salivary cortisol concentration is measured as a physiological biomarker of stress and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activity.
Immediately before and immediately after Session 1 (Baseline), and immediately before and immediately after Session 36 (Week 12)

Colaboradores e Investigadores

Aquí es donde encontrará personas y organizaciones involucradas en este estudio.

Fechas de registro del estudio

Estas fechas rastrean el progreso del registro del estudio y los envíos de resultados resumidos a ClinicalTrials.gov. Los registros del estudio y los resultados informados son revisados ​​por la Biblioteca Nacional de Medicina (NLM) para asegurarse de que cumplan con los estándares de control de calidad específicos antes de publicarlos en el sitio web público.

Fechas importantes del estudio

Inicio del estudio (Actual)

1 de agosto de 2023

Finalización primaria (Actual)

1 de agosto de 2024

Finalización del estudio (Actual)

1 de agosto de 2024

Fechas de registro del estudio

Enviado por primera vez

21 de mayo de 2026

Primero enviado que cumplió con los criterios de control de calidad

12 de junio de 2026

Publicado por primera vez (Actual)

18 de junio de 2026

Actualizaciones de registros de estudio

Última actualización publicada (Actual)

18 de junio de 2026

Última actualización enviada que cumplió con los criterios de control de calidad

12 de junio de 2026

Última verificación

1 de junio de 2026

Más información

Términos relacionados con este estudio

Plan de datos de participantes individuales (IPD)

¿Planea compartir datos de participantes individuales (IPD)?

NO

Descripción del plan IPD

Individual participant data (IPD) will not be shared due to ethical and privacy considerations, as the dataset contains sensitive information from vulnerable populations.

Información sobre medicamentos y dispositivos, documentos del estudio

Estudia un producto farmacéutico regulado por la FDA de EE. UU.

No

Estudia un producto de dispositivo regulado por la FDA de EE. UU.

No

Esta información se obtuvo directamente del sitio web clinicaltrials.gov sin cambios. Si tiene alguna solicitud para cambiar, eliminar o actualizar los detalles de su estudio, comuníquese con register@clinicaltrials.gov. Tan pronto como se implemente un cambio en clinicaltrials.gov, también se actualizará automáticamente en nuestro sitio web. .

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