Last Updated: 2003-06-24 13:00:38 -0400 (Reuters Health)

LONDON (Reuters) - Artistic pursuits and a hand-held computer could help people suffering from dementia to express themselves and remember appointments and events, British researchers said Tuesday.

An estimated 37 million people worldwide suffer from dementia which is characterised by memory loss and a progressive decline in thinking, comprehension and judgment. Alzheimer's disease is the leading type of the disorder in the elderly.

But scientists who presented new research at the British Psychological Society meeting at the University of East Anglia in eastern England said patients can express themselves and communicate through art and the latest technology.

"We've run a number of pilot projects in different art forms and found extraordinary things happening," said John Killick, of the University of Stirling in Scotland.

Patients who had difficulty communicating through speech displayed an amazing ability to express themselves through photography, collage and sculpture.

Although it did not improve their cognitive ability, patients conveyed what they were feeling in ways they had never done before.

"We need to do far more research and give far more opportunities to people with dementia to express themselves in alternative ways," Killick added in an interview.

By contrast, scientists at the Oliver Zangwill Center for Neuropsychological Rehabilitation in Ely, eastern England and the University of Dundee in Scotland have turned to technology and adapted a tiny computer called the MemoJog to help patients and their carers remember dates, appointments, when to take medicines or even what day it is.

About the size of personal digital assistants (PDAs), the device is easy to program and can improve the quality of life and independence for people with memory problems, Dr Jonathan Evans told the meeting.

"Our initial findings suggest that the MemoJog device may be useful for at least some people with memory impairment, including older users. Most of participants reported that it was easy to learn how to use MemoJog and that it was of benefit to them in remembering their day-to-day activities," he said.