A comparison study of sensory processing in older adults with and without dementia

Authors

MEDİNE NUR ÖZATA DEĞERLİFollow
DİDEM KARADUMANFollow
BURCU BALAM DOĞUFollow
ONUR ALTUNTAŞFollow

Abstract

Background/aim: Sensory processing is affected by aging, and dementia may lead to changes in sensory processing. This study aimed to examine the differences in sensory processing and sensory modulation between older adults with and without dementia.Materials and methods: This study was designed as a comparative study of community-dwelling older adults aged 65 years and older with and without dementia. Participants and their caregivers were recruited at the occupational therapy clinic of a public hospital. They completed a sociodemographic information form and the Adolescent/Adult Sensory Profile to assess sensory processing and sensory modulation.Results: The study included 120 older adults (60 with dementia and 60 without dementia) aged 75.35 ± 7.86 years. Older adults with dementia showed an above-norm low registration (x2 = 27.62) and sensory sensitive (x2 = 14.96) compared to without dementia. However, no significant differences were observed between the groups in sensation seeking and sensation avoiding (p > 0.05). There was a difference between the two groups in taste/smell, movement, visual, touch, and auditory modulation (p < 0.05).Conclusion: These findings highlight significant differences in sensory processing and modulation associated with dementia. Understanding these differences may offer valuable insights for developing individualized approaches to dementia management.

Author ORCID Identifier

MEDİNE NUR ÖZATA DEĞERLİ: 0000-0003-4776-3892

DİDEM KARADUMAN: 0000-0001-5824-8277

BURCU DOĞU: 0000-0002-4430-6146

ONUR ALTUNTAŞ: 0000-0002-2403-2096

DOI

10.55730/1300-0144.5948

Keywords

Dementia, older adults, sensory processing

First Page

103

Last Page

111

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Recommended Citation

ÖZATA DEĞERLİ, MEDİNE NUR; KARADUMAN, DİDEM; DOĞU, BURCU BALAM; and ALTUNTAŞ, ONUR (2025) "A comparison study of sensory processing in older adults with and without dementia," Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences: Vol. 55: No. 1, Article 12. https://doi.org/10.55730/1300-0144.5948
Available at: https://journals.tubitak.gov.tr/medical/vol55/iss1/12