title: Impact of TimeSlips creative expression program on behavioral symptoms and psychotropic medication use in persons with dementia in long-term care: a cluster-randomized pilot study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate whether involvement in TimeSlips, a creative storytelling program, reduced mood and behavioral symptoms as well as psychotropic medication use in persons with dementia.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cluster-randomized pilot study compared two discrete dementia care units in one nursing home. The control cohort (N = 10) received standard-of-care activity programming, and the intervention cohort (N = 10) received standard-of-care plus two one-hour TimeSlips sessions per week for six weeks. Data on mood and behavioral symptoms and psychotropic drug prescriptions were collected, and within-group and between-group comparisons were performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Between-group comparisons did not reveal statistically significant differences in mood and behavioral symptoms. No differences in psychotropic drug prescriptions were found.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Larger trials of longer duration are needed to determine whether involvement in TimeSlips reduces mood and behavioral symptoms that compromise quality of life for persons with dementia.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Humanities and Public Health Sciences, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA. Electronic address: whouser@hmc.psu.edu.
authors.forename: Winona S
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Houser
authors.affiliation: Departments of Humanities and Public Health Sciences, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA.
authors.forename: Daniel R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: George
authors.affiliation: Departments of Humanities and Public Health Sciences, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA.
authors.forename: Vernon M
authors.initials: VM
authors.lastname: Chinchilli
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001526:Behavioral Symptoms / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D003405:Creativity; D003704:Dementia / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008134:Long-Term Care; D008297:Male; D033262:Narration; D009735:Nursing Homes; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D011619:Psychotropic Drugs
keywords: Dementia; TimeSlips; behavioral symptoms; creative expression programs; non-pharmacological