| Sign In to gain access to subscriptions and/or personal tools. |
Disruptive vocalizations: A means to communicate in dementia?Psychology Department, Centre Hospitalier Robert-Giffard, Québec, Canada.
School of Psychology, Université Laval, Québec, Canada.
Psychology Department, Centre Hospitalier Robert-Giffard, Québec, Canada.
School of Psychology, Université Laval, Québec, Canada. Disruptive vocalizations (DVs) constitute a serious problem in geriatric nursing homes. The current literature suggests that DV can be interpreted as a way for demented persons with language limitations to communicate with others. In an attempt to test this hypothesis, 59 participants were recruited from six nursing homes to form two groups: one group of individuals with preserved language skills (PLS) and another group with altered language skills (ALS). They were compared on the frequency and types of DV. The results indicate that individuals with ALS manifest DV at a greater frequency than those with PLS. These persons also present a greater number of distinct DV forms. The results are interpreted in terms of language deterioration associated with dementia.
Key Words: disruptive vocalization language skills dementia
American Journal of Alzheimer's Disease and Other Dementias®, Vol. 18, No. 3,
147-153 (2003) |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||