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Multisensory Stimulation as an Intervention Strategy for Elderly Patients With Severe Dementia: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial
Sánchez A, Marante-Moar MP, Sarabia C, de Labra C, Lorenzo T, Maseda A, Millán-Calenti JC.. American journal of Alzheimer's disease and other dementias, 2015-12-01
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
The objective of this study was to compare the effect of multisensory stimulation environment (MSSE) and one-to-one activity sessions in the symptomatology of elderly individuals with severe dementia. Thirty-two participants were randomly assigned to the following 3 groups: MSSE, activity, and control group. The MSSE and activity groups participated in two 30-minute weekly sessions over 16 weeks. Pre-, mid-, and posttrial; 8-week follow-up behavior; mood; cognitive status; and dementia severity were registered. Patients in the MSSE group demonstrated a significant improvement in the Neuropsychiatric Inventory and Bedford Alzheimer Nursing Severity Scale scores compared with the activity group. Both MSSE and activity groups showed an improvement during the intervention in the Cohen-Mansfield Agitation Inventory aggressive behavior factor and total score, with no significant differences between groups. The MSSE may have better effects on neuropsychiatric symptoms and dementia severity in comparison with one-to-one activity sessions in patients with severe dementia.
Key findings
- Patients in the MSSE group demonstrated a significant improvement in the Neuropsychiatric Inventory and Bedford Alzheimer Nursing Severity Scale scores compared with the activity group.
- Both MSSE and activity groups showed an improvement during the intervention in the Cohen-Mansfield Agitation Inventory aggressive behavior factor and total score, with no significant differences between groups.
Why it matters
In this small pilot trial of 32 people with severe dementia, a multisensory stimulation environment improved some symptom scores compared with one-to-one activity sessions. Because it was a pilot with few participants, these results need confirmation in larger studies before drawing conclusions about treating dementia symptoms.
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Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 52/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal, and it is a randomised controlled trial. Scored zero for sample size and effect reported because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (American journal of Alzheimer's disease and other dementias) |
| Journal's citation record | 1 / 4 | American Journal of Alzheimer s Disease & Other Dementias®: journal h-index 93 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 11 / 12 | A randomised controlled trial (from PubMed type “Randomized Controlled Trial”) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 1 / 5 | 2016 — within 20 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 3 / 3 | Studied in people (pubmed indexes it as a clinical or observational study) |
| Randomised / blinded | 1 / 2 | Randomised (as stated in the record) |
| Times cited | 4 / 7 | Cited 63 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 2 / 5 | 5.2 citations a year over 12 year(s) since 2016 |
| Impact for its field and year | 3 / 6 | Cited 3.9× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 1 / 6 | Cited by 1 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 2 / 4 | Cited 26 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 2 / 4 | Last-listed author José Carlos Millán-Calentí: h-index 32 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 0 / 3 | Universidad de Cantabria: institution h-index 635 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 1 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 3 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 26631687) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 52 / 100 | — |
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Read the original
Full text: free to read — PubMed Central lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 10 Oct 2026).
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. The record names 7 authors; APA and Vancouver show the first six, BibTeX and the downloads carry all of them. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Sánchez, A., Marante-Moar, M. P., Sarabia, C., de Labra, C., Lorenzo, T., Maseda, A., et al. (2016). Multisensory Stimulation as an Intervention Strategy for Elderly Patients With Severe Dementia: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial. American journal of Alzheimer's disease and other dementias. https://doi.org/10.1177/1533317515618801
Vancouver
Sánchez A, Marante-Moar MP, Sarabia C, de Labra C, Lorenzo T, Maseda A, et al. Multisensory Stimulation as an Intervention Strategy for Elderly Patients With Severe Dementia: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial. American journal of Alzheimer's disease and other dementias. 2016. doi:10.1177/1533317515618801. PMID: 26631687.
BibTeX
@article{sanchez2016-26631687,
author = {Sánchez, A. and Marante-Moar, M. P. and Sarabia, C. and de Labra, C. and Lorenzo, T. and Maseda, A. and Millán-Calenti, J. C.},
title = {{Multisensory Stimulation as an Intervention Strategy for Elderly Patients With Severe Dementia: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial}},
journal = {American journal of Alzheimer's disease and other dementias},
year = {2016},
doi = {10.1177/1533317515618801},
pmid = {26631687},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1177/1533317515618801}
}
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