title: Differential responses of individuals with late-stage dementia to two novel environments: a multimedia room and an interior garden.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to determine the responses of individuals with advanced dementia to two novel sensory environments in a nursing home facility. The first was a multisensory Snoezelen room; the second was a temporary Japanese garden. Subjects viewed each environment twice a week for 15 minutes during the study. Stress was measured using heart rate and informant-based behavioral changes. By these criteria, the garden-viewing group showed positive behavioral changes while the responses of the subjects in the Snoezelen group were more negative. The response of the subjects' pulse rate was most dramatic. During the 15 minutes in the garden, the average rate (all subjects/all visits) was significantly less than in their residential room. In the Snoezelen room, we detected little or no change. The impact of the garden could also be seen in the negative behavioral signs elicited upon returning the subjects to the garden room after the installation had been replaced with plants and furniture arranged with no formal design. We propose that exposure to a small interior Japanese garden could be an effective intervention for individuals suffering from late stage Alzheimer's disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Landscape Architecture, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, USA.
authors.forename: Seiko
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Goto
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, USA.
authors.forename: Naveed
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kamal
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, USA.
authors.forename: Helene
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Puzio
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ, USA.
authors.forename: Fred
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kobylarz
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Piscataway, NJ and Division of Life Science, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong.
authors.forename: Karl
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Herrup
mesh_terms: D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D003704:Dementia / Q000451:nursing* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004644:Emotions / Q000502:physiology; D004777:Environment; D005260:Female; D051639:Gardening; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D019212:Multimedia; D013997:Time Factors
keywords: Dementia; Japanese garden; Snoezelen room; heart rate; nursing home