the need for attachment and a considerable
decline in levels of anxiety and agitation. There
was extensive ongoing improvement in social
interaction, self-worth and communication.
of a) the use of a doll as a therapeutic tool
on the behaviour of a person living with
dementia; b) the long term attachment
needs of the participant to reduce or prevent
behaviours reflective of other needs; c) the
effect therapeutic interventions on the well-
being of the participant. It also extends an
understanding of the use of complementary
therapy to inform professional practice; to
promote opportunities for the exchange of
knowledge; and to stimulate research and
promote best practice. This study will also
contribute to the general body of knowledge
about the use of complementary therapy to
meet past attachments needs and to improve
the continuity of an uplifting life experience
for people living with dementia. Further,
the benefits of this research will encourage
a change in attitude to one of the many
alternative therapeutic ways of meeting the
specific requirements of a person living with
dementia. The outcome also provides further
evidence of an improved quality of life, growth
and fulfilment in the maintenance of self to
assist other people with similar needs. As
professionals we need to build upon this
evidence to promote therapeutic interventions
that demonstrate another valuable way forward
in the provision of person-centred dementia
care. This single case study may also provide
the impetus for aged care providers to develop
an increased sensitivity to contribute to,
and promote, therapeutic interventions that
encourage positive ageing and wellbeing of
people living with dementia
to do better, we can empower, enable and
inspire others to make a difference.
Austin Health
involves memory loss as a prominent feature,
other less common forms of the disease
are recognised and can be regarded as
"phenotypic variations". It may be helpful to
understand AD as a spectrum of illnesses,
with varying clinical features which likely
reflect differing distribution of early pathology.
In the classical amnestic form, the plaques
and tangles are found predominantly in the
hippocampal/ limbic regions. In Posterior
Cortical Atrophy where there are prominent
early visuospatial symptoms, the posterior
parietal and adjacent occipital regions are
most affected initially. In logopenic aphasia,
characterized by early language changes, the
left superior and middle temporal gyri and
inferior parietal lobules are affected early. The
frontal variant of Alzheimer's disease (FvAD)
affects the medial and orbital (inferior) frontal
regions early and is characterized by prominent
early behavioural and other "frontal lobe"
features. Neuroimaging can demonstrate this
heterogeneity- for instance, in FvAD there is
more hypometabolism in these frontal regions
than in "non frontal" AD on FDG-PET scanning.
Distinguishing these forms of AD from other
dementias is both clinically difficult and
important. FvAD, for instance, .ay be diagnosed
as FrontoTemporal Lobar Degeneration, which