The authors investigated the effects of sensory stimulation activities on the psychological well being of 15 persons institutionalized with advanced Alzheimer's disease. A recently developed instrument, the Discomfort Scale for Dementias of the Alzheimer's Type (DS-DAT), measured nine indicators of discomfort and provided an outcome measure for interventions in this population. Mean baseline DS-DAT scores suggested that participants experienced a moderately high level of discomfort. Results indicated that overall discomfort decreased significantly during three stimulation interventions, including music, touch and smell. The DS-DAT variable of fidgeting body language also decreased significantly7 during three sensory stimulation activities.
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