Individuals with Alzheimer's type dementia will have diminished ability to communicate verbally as the disease progresses. Therefore, nonverbal communication (NVC) through the use of and facial expression, gestures, and body language is essential for connecting with others and expressing wants and needs. The purpose of this SPA 900 project was to examine the current state of the literature relating to NVC and dementia. A comprehensive review of the literature was performed across nine

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... Four hundred and fifty-four articles were identified in the initial search. After applying exclusion criteria based on title and abstract, 65 articles remained. Several themes across the literature were revealed including emotions and facial expressions of people with dementia, interpersonal communication interactions with caregivers, pain assessment, and intervention relating to the arts. Areas for future research are discussed.