title: A systematic review of the effects of occupational therapy for persons with dementia: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Meta-analysis was conducted to examine effects of OT interventions based on sensory stimulation, environmental modification and functional task activity on the behavioral problems and depression of individual with dementia.
  
  
  METHODS
  An extensive search in database such as MEDLINE, CINAHL, ProQuest Medical Library, and Cochrane and OT related 11 journals was performed.
  
  
  METHODS
  Potential studies were identified through the
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  dementia or Alzheimer, randomized controlled trials and occupational therapy or occupational therapist or ADL or sensory stimulation or Snoezelen or environmental modification or education for caregivers.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two reviewers independently identified studies, extracted data, assessed methodological quality of the studies. Effect size was estimated using standardized mean difference with 95% confidence intervals. Significant heterogeneity and publication bias were investigated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Nine studies including 751 people were selected. Sensory stimulation was effective intervention in improving behavioral problems (0.32; 95% CI, 0.04 to 0.59).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This review identified that OT intervention based on sensory stimulation was effective intervention to improve behavioral problems. However, the number of studies included in this review is limited. More research is needed to enable evidence-based OT for dementia patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Occupational Therapy, Graduate School of Yonsei University, Wonju, Korea.
authors.forename: Se-Yun
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Eun-Young
authors.initials: EY
authors.lastname: Yoo
authors.forename: Min-Ye
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.forename: Soo-Hyun
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Ji-Hyuk
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Park
mesh_terms: D016208:Databases, Factual / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003704:Dementia / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D006801:Humans; D009788:Occupational Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic