RecruitingNot ApplicableNCT06611878

Memory for Music: Individual Intensive Musical Training in Alzheimer's Disease

Memory for Music: Effects of Individual Intensive Musical Training Based on Singing in Non-musicians With Alzheimer's Disease

Sponsor

NORCE Norwegian Research Centre AS

Enrollment

113 participants

Start Date

Dec 1, 2024

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Conditions

Alzheimer Disease

Summary

This project, called Memory for Music, focuses on the increasing number of people worldwide living with dementia, especially Alzheimer's disease (AD). AD typically starts with memory problems and eventually affects daily activities. Active music interventions, especially singing, have shown positive effects on mood, behavior, and quality of life for people with dementia, but their impact on cognition is not well understood. The project aims to address this gap by studying the effects of learning new songs on cognitive, behavioral, and brain functioning. The study will involve home-dwelling adults aged 65 or older with AD from Argentina, Austria, and Norway. Participants will undergo 5 months of intensive musical training (twice a week) and 5 months of minimal training (once a month) in a random order, with a 2-month break in between. The interventions include learning new songs with a personal music teacher. General cognition will be measured using the Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale - Cognitive (ADAS-cog), and memory for music will be assessed through various methods, including behavioral tasks and brain responses (EEG). Mood will also be evaluated in each session. The goal is to include 113 participants to ensure reliable detection of meaningful effects. The study will explore how mood and memory for music contribute to changes in cognitive abilities, and whether these effects vary based on factors such as sex, age, AD stage, or previous musical training and general education. The project emphasizes collaboration between researchers, service providers, and users to ensure the study's relevance and applicability.

Eligibility

Min Age: 65 Years

Plain Language Summary

Simplified for easier understanding

This study explores whether personalized, intensive music training can help improve memory in people with Alzheimer's disease. Research suggests that music memory is often preserved even in advanced Alzheimer's, and this trial aims to use that to support cognitive function and quality of life. **You may be eligible if...** - You have a diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease - You live at home (not in a care facility) - You have no significant background as a musician **You may NOT be eligible if...** - You have a different type of dementia (not Alzheimer's) - You currently live in a care home or residential facility - You have worked professionally as a musician in the past Talk to your doctor to see if this trial is right for you.

This summary was AI-generated to explain the trial in plain language. It is not medical advice. Always discuss eligibility with your doctor before enrolling in a clinical trial.

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Interventions

BEHAVIORALMusic training - intensive

Music training entails learning novel songs the participant chooses from a list. Songs are similar in complexity and length (number of words, high frequency words, harmony, musical complexity, length of verses and chorus). Offering a variety of songs allows to examine memory performance regardless of the specific song chosen. Sessions last 30 to 40 minutes, conducted based on a manual (1. mood observation; 2. warm-up; 3. teaching the chorus, observed liking of song; 4. singing entire chorus; 5. singing chorus in context, 6. session closure with favourite song; 7. final mood observation; session rating), and are video-recorded. External evaluators audit the sessions video recordings to determine adherence to the manual. Sessions are offered twice a week for 5 months.

BEHAVIORALMusic training - minimal

OTHERTreatment as Usual (TAU)

Medications, behavioural interventions and other treatments that participants may receive outside the study during the period of participation.