Is anyone aware of any psychological evaluations or a study that tells us about the emotion swings of an Alzheimer's sufferer?

Thanks for your kind responses. The pain of watching someone suffering the wretchedness of alzheimer's is almost unbearable sometimes.

It certainly would be an interesting approach to research.

I found this learned paper from the International Psychogeriatric Association:

International Psychogeriatrics Volume 8 Supplement 3 1996
Dementia Mood Assessment Scale by Trey Sunderland and Marcia Minichiello

which includes some relevant observations on the difficulties of evaluating mood (for this study they stuck to inpatients, but comment that caregivers of outpatients could readily follow the same process) and offers a checklist and journal template which you might find useful?

There is also a list of further reading. Of course it's all getting a bit old, but it might provide some leads to follow.

Your question about whether a study, or many studies come to that, could tell us anything about the emotion swings of an individual, though... That just reminds me of the Alzheimers Association mantra "when you've seen one person with dementia, you've seen one person with dementia." I would expect the variations in triggers and patterns to be as numerous as the people you're studying. Still! - at least we might get some insight into how best to observe the individuals we're trying to help.

Fisherman, your wife and family are lucky to have a CG that thinks out of the box for solutions to improve conditions not only for your wife, but those Alzheimer patients in the future.
Good luck with finding resources.

Hi Fisherman,
Are you familiar with a Snoezelen Room? Although it doesn't provide a means to measure what they're upcoming mood swings might be, a Snoezelen Room provides good stimuli to improve their mood. It's a therapeutic environment.

The more the person can be exposed to an environment to improve their mood, I believe they would have less mood swings.

Not exactly an answer to your question, but thought you might find it of interest if you weren't yet familiar with it.

Thanks for your reply. It gives me clues. Just to be upfront , I'm not an AZ researcher ...in case I misled you. It's my wife. I'm trying to find a way to make her days just a little bit happier. She is in full-time AZ Care in Mississippi while I continue to live in Houston. Our Daughter lives near her in Mississippi and thats why she's there.

I AM a medical researcher for NASA and some nearby hospitals. Thats why I'm still here. And not there.

So my logic tells me if we can establish a pattern of behavior, on an individual basis for sure, with the triggers (or lack thereof for sure) we can control the AZ sufferer's emotions to make them happy.

That can be done.

Thanks again for your reply.

Thanks for all your replies. I've learned several avenues that are new to me. Thanks for all your help and ideas.

I just read about the Snoezelen Room ......thats exactly the type thing I had envisioned .... I'll follow up on that...

Hi Fisherman,
Yeah, the Snoezelen Room sounds interesting with the potential results it could produce!

I should tread a bit carefully before exposing anyone with the typical dementias to anything so completely unfamiliar. But certainly there are interesting elements that could be introduced into the person's normal living environment..?

I agree. Iwould only work thru the pros in the treatment center where my wife is residing. Fyi. our daughter visited with my wife this afternoon for about an hour...she reported back to me it went well. Our daughter visits 3-4 times a week all the while being a great mother to my high school age granddaughter. AS I have mentioned hereupon before I am 'stuck' in HOUSTON