Non-Drug' Approaches Can Fight Depression in People With Dementia

U.S. News & World Report says exercise, mental stimulation, and massage can treat depression in dementia patients as well as — if not better than — medication, according to University of Toronto researchers. A review of 256 studies in the BMJ included more than 28,000 people with dementia with or without major depression. Drugs alone were no more effective than typical care in treating depression in these subjects, but 10 therapies were more effective than usual care. Such treatments included cognitive stimulation, exercise, reminiscence therapy, mental stimulation with a cholinesterase inhibitor, and massage and touch therapy. Also beneficial were multidisciplinary care psychotherapy plus reminiscence therapy and environmental modification, occupational therapy, exercise combined with social interaction and mental stimulation, and animal therapy. "Non-drug approaches were associated with a meaningful reduction in symptoms of depression in people with dementia and without a diagnosis of a major depressive disorder," explained the researchers. Massage and touch therapy, mental stimulation with a cholinesterase inhibitor, and mental stimulation plus exercise and social interaction were found to be particularly more effective than certain medications. The implication is that doctors should use more drug-free methods to treat depression and loneliness in dementia patients.