Aural stimulation with capsaicin prevented pneumonia in dementia patients

In the present study, we examined the effects of daily application of capsaicin ointment to the external auditory canal for 6 months on the development of pneumonia in elderly dementia patients at high risk of aspiration. Twenty-nine oldest-old bedridden dementia inpatients at high risk of aspiration were enrolled in the present study. Ointment containing 0.025% capsaicin was applied to each external auditory canal with a cotton swab alternatively once a day for 6 months. The incidence of pneumonia during the 6 months before the intervention was 1.80±0.37 in these patients. However, this incidence significantly decreased to 0.40±0.29 (p