Team Awesome Adventures #52846

Our FLL team’s journey started in 2021, with the season Cargo Connect. We set out to solve an important problem, which is theft of cargo. Along the way, we learned the programming of Gyro, Lane following, and squaring. Our team got all the way to regionals. Last year,  we put our effort into teaching our new members about FLL and how to program using Spike. Our innovation project was about Carbon Capture, a topic vaguely researched about. Our team got champions award in regionals, and went to the next level. This year, we are researching solutions to improve brain activity for Alzheimers, and with one new team member, Ria. Our goals for this year are to improve our robot documentation, programming skills, and our Core Values. We want to continue our journey in  FLL for the future years with our awesome team! 

Alzheimer’s and other types of Dementia:

One of the common types of Dementia is Alzhimers. In the beginning stages of Alzeihmers the part of the brain that is used for memory is affected and then it spreads to the other parts. This is the reason patients with Alzheimer’s remember their childhood and long term memories but forget the recent past. 

Music therapy is used to treat patients with Alzheimers. The therapist finds the patient's favorite music and plays it or helps make music to evoke their emotions, decrease anxiety and agitation and to make social connections and increase communication.

Using music therapy helped to bridge the area not affected with the area affected in a way to improve the brain functioning.

Art projects can create a sense of accomplishment and purpose. They can provide the person with dementia — as well as caregivers — an opportunity for self-expression.

How Music and Art Therapy helps Alzheimer's patients 

For patients with Alzheimer’s disease, music and art therapy can help them including memory.

• Certain types of sounds may bring back feelings and memories. 

• They might remember the songs and titles they once knew. 

• They might also start to recognize how music makes them feel again. 

• Music therapy can also help a person achieve health goals which could also be lowering stress and increasing their happiness. 

• Art therapy can be used to treat mind and behavior problems.

How Alzheimer's affects the brain

• Alzheimer's disease is a brain disorder that gets worse over time. 

• It's characterized by changes in the brain that lead to deposits of certain proteins. 

• Alzheimer's disease causes the brain to shrink and brain cells to eventually die.

Music Therapy

Music therapy is used to treat patients with Alzheimer's. The therapist finds the patient's favorite music to decrease anxiety and agitation, make social connections, and increase communication. Using music therapy helped to bridge the area not affected with the area affected in a way to improve brain functioning. 

Factors affecting Alzheimer's

Our Point System: Tailoring Activities for Optimal Engagement

MUSIC 

Just sitting there and watching 

This would be 0-20 

Maracas

The maracas would be 20-40 

Lap Drums

The lap drums would be 40-60

Triangle

Playing the triangle would be 60-80 

Other instruments

Playing other instruments is 80-100

REASONING

Just sitting there and watching: 

• The first level of music is just sitting there and watching or they can dance in their spot. This would be Level 1 because you don't need to do much, you just have to watch, sing, or just move your hands and clap.

•  We found a website that explains how music or signing can help the patients. The Fisher’s Center For Alzheimer's Research Foundation states that volunteers and workers should encourage patients to clap or sing along because it can help them with recollecting memories and other things. 

Maracas

• The maracas is the second level because all you have to do is shake your hands. 

• The handle makes it easier to hold a good grip

• You can either use one or both the Maracas. 

• Maracas is usually very colorful and attractive for anyone to play.

• Similar instruments would be the jingle where you just have to shake your hand to generate noise

Lap Drums

• Lap Drums are used as an exercise that can help generate positive effects towards cardiovascular exercise.

• We found a website that explains how drums can help seniors with dementia. The National Library of Medicine states that drums is a form of entertainment by the beat of the music and it has and it has a stimulating effect on motor circuits in the nervous system.

• This would be Level 3 because you have to have the skill of hitting drums in the right place of the instrument. If you hit it on the side, then it might not make as much noise as it would if you were to hit it in the middle of the instrument.

Triangle or similar instruments

• Playing the triangle and similar instruments would be Level 4 because you have to hold the stick and hit the triangle in the center to generate noise. If they hit it in the wrong place it might generate another sound rather than the sound that is generated by hitting in the center. 

Other instruments they used to play earlier in their life

• The instruments they used to play earlier in their life is level five, the hardest level because not everyone can just play. 

• They should be familiar with that instrument.

• They can play songs they used to play, even if they only remember a little bit.

• If they did not finish learning an instrument when they were younger they can play more advance songs of other levels

• Some harder instruments are Violin, The French Horn, The Organ, Bagpipes, Accordion, Oboe, Harp, Guitar and Piano.

REASONING 

 Scribble Pages: 

• We chose Scribble Pages because we discovered that seniors didn’t like to be told exactly what to draw or paint. The scribble Pages are new activities that will allow them to freely draw whatever they want. This is to help them feel like they accomplished something without frustrating them too much. 

• Before we confirmed our scribble pages, we found a Harvard Health Website that explains why doodling is good for seniors and the statistics that go along with it. Even though this article is not directed towards seniors (every age group), these are the reasonings that help ANY age group with stress relief. Harvard Health Level 1

• We chose this as level 1 since it is an easy thing and you can do anything with the book and scribble all you want.

 Playdoh: 

• We chose to use Play-Doh since it’s tactile and the seniors like the feel of it.  We got the idea of Play-Doh since one of our experts told us that seniors like tactile items and that it will keep their hands moving. We put this activity at level one. 

• According to Menno Haven, play-doh is one of the many sensory activities that seniors enjoy. Even if nothing is made in the end, squashing the Play-Doh can take away anxiety (if any) and is proven as a “soothing sensory activity.” Play-doh level 1

• We chose Play-Doh since you can move it with your hand and does not require any brain power.

 Personalized Puzzles 2x2: 

• We chose personalized puzzles as a social and interactive activity. The puzzles are in a 2x2, so it wouldn’t be very difficult for them since they already have multiple steps. The seniors are given a blank 2x2 puzzle, and they can take any art materials and draw on it fully as they please, or if they are more interested, they can just put a picture of their family. This became a social activity where the seniors could give this to their other friends to solve. 

• Level 2 We chose level two since you can decorate the puzzle, solve it and choose the size of it.

A Coloring Book:  

• We chose a coloring book as one of our activities for the seniors since it is a fun engaging activity that will make the seniors feel relaxed. This can improve seniors' mental health. Scientists have also proven that coloring is proven to reduce stress and anxiety levels and improve focus and concentration. The last reason we chose coloring and put it at level 3 since it also includes social activities. Level 3- We chose level three since you have to draw inside of the lines carefully

• Sites we found for coloring pages seniors can do: Super Coloring,

 Painting: 

• When we were researching our different activities and how they would best suit the seniors, we came across the painting. According to lesley.edu, one of the doctors mentioned that when a senior comes across Alzheimer's, they can lose the ability to speak or communicate. Painting allows them to have a place to put their feelings and to express communication. This is most commonly used in memory care facilities. Leveling 4

• We chose level 4 since you have to mix colors and keep your hand up for a while which makes it hard for elderly people. This is also complex so if they don’t make it how they want it, they will be stressed.

A DIY keepsake: 

• We chose a DIY keepsake since it will bring back the senior's memories and it will include buttons that will have sounds of their past life. This box is also customizable so they can decorate it with stickers and other things they love. This is an interactive activity that we got inspiration from someone in the center who did this a long time ago. Seniors mostly remember their memories from childhood, so this activity helps them. Level 5

• We chose level 5 since it is a hard task and this will have you color put stickers and take a few days.

GAMES 

• Magnetics: 0-20 = Level 1 

• Tangram: 20-40 = Level 2

• Fidget Spinner: 40-60 = Level 3 

• Rubix Cube: 60-80 = Level 4 

• Rubix Cube: 80-100 = Level 5

REASONING 

• For magnetics, we saw that on a website called Progress Lifeline that moving objects together can help improve short term memory. Some statistics show that seniors who take part in these types of puzzles have sharper brains, and the website also says “A study found that doing puzzles could reduce the onset of dementia by two and a half years.” This is only level 1 because it is easy to attach them.

• While researching the Osmo Tangram, we saw that the Osmo Tangram can help with problem-solving skills and logical thinking skills. We also saw that tangrams can help with “perceptual reasoning (nonverbal thinking skills)” and “visual-spatial awareness (spatial intelligence)”. We saw that it can even help improve fine motor skills. We used a website called Right Brainchild. This is level 2 because it has to be coordinated.

• We saw that when we were researching fidget spinners it can help improve fine motor skills and provide a challenge and competitiveness so that they will have the desire to try harder and spin it for longer. This will provide them with the will to do this and therefore help them be more active. The thing that is great about this is that if they spin it for even a little, they will get a sense of accomplishment, which can strengthen the connection between brain cells. This is level 3 because you have to balance it and move quickly.

• While researching the two Rubik’s cubes, we saw that while trying to solve the Rubik’s cube, the mind multi-tasks and can “make you more efficient, focused, and ultimately more confident about yourself.” This confidence can push the seniors to be more active, have a positive attitude, and work to be better. We got our information on the Rubik’s cubes on a website called ipassio. This is level 4 and 5 because there is memorization, algorithms, and movement.