Music Therapy for Patients With Alzheimer's Disease

Despite advancements in mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or mild dementia due to Alzheimer's Disease (AD) treatment, patients who live with these symptoms still have many unmet neuropsychiatric needs. In investigating holistic approaches to treatment generally, it is important to utilize non-pharmacological interventions.

Kelly and Ahessy implemented reminiscence-focused group music therapy to promote positive mood and engagement through musical expression (e.g. singing, moving, body percussion) and verbal interaction, using thematic sessions that reflected the music preferences of the participants. The researchers found that a balance of familiar structures, such as greeting and ending songs, paired with adaptability on behalf of the music facilitator created meaningful space for reminiscence and shared engagement. The researchers also identify music as a core element that facilitated the sharing musical and extramusical personal memories, as well as provided grounding and opportunities for re-connection during moments of disorientation within the group.

Although use of virtual music therapy due to COVID-19 has been increased, the impact of virtual music therapy sessions on reminiscence is minimally explored in the literature. A clear benefit of virtual music therapy is increased access to care for participants living in rural areas or for whom travel is difficult, enabling participation in meaningful interventions without disrupting daily routines. Additionally, the ability to engage in music therapy from the familiarity of one's own home has been shown to facilitate relationship development between patients with dementia and the patients' caregivers, as well as increase feelings of comfort and relaxation.

The present study seeks to expand upon previous work by adding a layer of personalization and engagement. Rather than simply assigning individuals a regimen of music listening, the investigators will engage participants in regularly occurring virtual music therapy sessions centered on playing familiar songs live and stimulating reminiscence through autobiographical conversation. Such a study offers several advantages over previous similar studies' formats as it (a) allows researchers to maintain maximum control over how the treatment is administered, (b) saves participants and caregivers the stress of traveling for therapy (especially pertinent given the study's older demographic), (c) allows participants autonomy over when and where the participants engage in therapy, likely from the comfort of home, and (d) provides opportunities for music therapy to become a meaningful twice-weekly routine for both participants and the participants' care partners. Appreciating music is far greater than simply listening to it, and this study seeks to utilize the transformative power of individualized live music therapy interventions.

Participants with MCI or mild dementia due to AD will attend 30-minute reminiscence-targeted virtual music therapy during an 8 week, twice-weekly course of music therapy (a total of 16 sessions) through a Zoom. Participants' cognitive, anxiety, quality of life, and autobiographical memory level will be measured pre- and post- 16 virtual music therapy sessions. Brain activation patterns using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) will be compared before and after virtual music therapy sessions to understand if individualized virtual music therapy sessions can change cortical activity.

• Change in cortical activation as assessed by Blood Oxygen Level Dependent (BOLD) on functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) [Срок оценки: Baseline and Post-test Week 12]
• Change in cognition as assessed by the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) [Срок оценки: Baseline and Post-test Week 12]
• Change in quality of life as assessed by the Quality of Life for Alzheimer's Disease (QoL-AD) [Срок оценки: Baseline and Post-test Week 12]
• Change in nostalgia level as assessed by Southampton Nostalgia Scale (SNS) [Срок оценки: Baseline and Post-test Week 12]
• Change in anxiety level as assessed by State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) [Срок оценки: Baseline and Post-test Week 12]
• Change in depression level as assessed by Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) [Срок оценки: Baseline and Post-test Week 12]
• Change in score/statement on music therapy experiences as assessed by the structured interview reporting form [Срок оценки: Day 1, Day 3, Day 8, Day 10, Day 15, Day 17, Day 22, Day 24, Day 29, Day 31, Day 36, Day 38, Day 43, Day 45, Day 50, Day 52]