Laughter May Be Strong Medicine for Alzheimer's and Dementia Patients

[Guest guest]

via Alzheimer's Daily News

Laughter May Be Strong Medicine for Alzheimer's and Dementia Patients

(Source: PRWeb) - Exposing Alzheimer's patients to " humor therapy " appears as

effective as psychiatric drugs in reducing the agitation that often plagues

those struggling with dementia, Australian research suggests.

In a three-month period, nursing home residents who actively participated in a

weekly two-hour clowning session involving music, mime and humorous props showed

a significant reduction in both physically and verbally aggressive behavior.

VisionsMedia, producer of a new iPhone/iPad app aimed to find a ways to package

the benefits of laughter therapy in an easily deliverable hand-held device. Fred

Burger set out to capture laughter that could be accessed instantly with just

the touch of a finger. The iTunes App store made that dream a reality.

According to Burger, " We are just starting to scratch the surface in discovering

all of the benefits of laughter therapy. This latest study is a wonderful

example of how laughter can be used to treat illness in a healthy way without

the intervention of medications. 'The Gift of Laughter' app is just one step in

making it easier to deliver that dose of laughter. "

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