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Aims: To report and summarise the effects of interventions using participatory visual arts activities in dementia research through a narrative synthesis systematic review., Methods: We searched four databases MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO and Applied Social Sciences Index & Abstracts (ASSIA). Of the 3263 records retrieved, 20 were included in this review. Quality was assessed with the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) and the Downs and Black checklist., Results: The use of participatory visual arts has positive effects on cognition, social and psychological functioning of people with dementia, although the diversity of the studies provided inconsistent evidence of an overall positive effect. Participants evaluated the interventions as enjoyable and engaging., Conclusions: This review adds to previous work done by Deshmukh et al. and Windle et al. with a focus on studies that had participatory visual art-making activities made by people with dementia. The use of participatory arts may bring benefits for people with dementia. The heterogeneity of the interventions prevented generalisation of the results. Criteria associated with positive outcomes of the intervention are reported to aid on the design of participatory visual arts interventions for people with dementia. Future research in participatory arts should have a more detailed description of the methods and art interventions.

Background: Technology can be helpful in supporting people with dementia in their daily lives. However, people with dementia are often not fully involved in the development process of new technology. This lack of involvement of people with dementia in developing technology-based interventions can lead to the implementation of faulty and less suitable technology., Objective: This systematic review aims to evaluate current approaches and create best practice guidelines for involving people with dementia in developing technology-based interventions., Methods: A systematic search was conducted in January 2019 in the following databases: EMBASE (Excerpta Medica database), PsycINFO, MEDLINE (Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online), CINAHL (Cumulated Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature), and Web of Science. The search strategy included search terms in 3 categories: dementia, technology, and involvement in development. Narrative synthesis wove the evidence together in a structured approach., Results: A total of 21 studies met the inclusion criteria. Most studies involved people with dementia in a single phase, such as development (n=10), feasibility and piloting (n=7), or evaluation (n=1). Only 3 studies described involvement in multiple phases. Frequently used methods for assessing involvement included focus groups, interviews, observations, and user tests., Conclusions: Most studies concluded that it was both necessary and feasible to involve people with dementia, which can be optimized by having the right prerequisites in place, ensuring that technology meets standards of reliability and stability, and providing a positive research experience for participants. Best practice guidelines for the involvement of people with dementia in developing technology-based interventions are described., (©Harleen Kaur Rai, Aline Cavalcanti Barroso, Lauren Yates, Justine Schneider, Martin Orrell. Originally published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research (http://www.jmir.org), 03.12.2020.)