Abstract

Dementia is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by cognitive decline, loss of memory, and deterioration of communication skills. As language deteriorates, nonverbal communication becomes increasingly vital for expressing needs, emotions, and intentions. Existing research highlights the use of various nonverbal cues such as reciprocal eye gaze, gesture, touch, and facial expressions by individuals with dementia to interact with caregivers and their environment (Bender, 2022; Staehler et al., 2022). Gaze has been identified as a critical modality for establishing social connections and participating in meaningful exchanges, even as verbal skills wane. However, the patterns and universality of specific nonverbal communication forms in this population remain underexplored. This literature review aims to (1) examine how gestural language changes as dementia progresses and (2) explore the impact of nonverbal and gestural communication on the patient-caregiver connection. Literature Review: Gestures are an essential part of daily communication. A gesture is defined as a movement that represents an action (Novack et. al, 2015). We use gestures pre-linguistically for communicative purposes to express our needs and wants (Iverson et. al, 2005) and they also serve to enhance and emphasize our language (Goldin-Meadow, 2017) . As dementia advances, it is common for communication issues to emerge (Banovic et. al, 2018). However, research suggests that particularly gestural language, often remains preserved (Banovic et. al, 2018; Tzeng & Knight, 2022). The preservation of gestural language is crucial, as it allows individuals with dementia to interact with their caregivers and family members. This raises the important question: how does gestural communication affect the quality of life for a person with dementia as the disease progresses? This literature review will discuss topics such as gestural language development, dementia’s relationship with gestural language, how caregivers can use gestural language to their advantage, and what effect it has on dementia patients’ quality of life. It is hypothesized that nonverbal acts such as gaze, pointing, and facial expressions are universally adopted by individuals with dementia to meet communication needs. By understanding gestural language effects, we can learn about the relationship between dementia and gestural language, and the effects it has on quality of life. Proposal/conclusion: In the future, it would be ideal to conduct a study that looks at gestural language and how dementia impacts it throughout cognitive deterioration. It would investigate the following: - What types of gestures deteriorate first (iconic, deictic, conventional, etc.). - What gestures in a variety of cultures are affected by the degeneration of dementia. - What scales are effective at measuring gestural language as dementia progresses.