An interventional study of Music lessons and Training intervention in Alzheimer Disease, Mild Cognitive Impairment and MCI With Increased Risk for Alzheimer Disease, sponsored by University of Bergen. Active, not recruiting at 1 site in Norway. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2024-05-08.
Sponsored by University of Bergen · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment
Music has powerful effects on memory in patients with neurodegenerative diseases. However, although there is anecdotal evidence for beneficial effects of active music interventions in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD), there is lack of high-quality research investigating this issue, and the cognitive, emotional, and social factors that contribute to potentially beneficial effects of music making in AD patients are largely unknown. In a randomised controlled intervention trial, a cohort of AD patients will undergo twelve months of music lessons specifically tailored for AD patients. Structural and functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) will be used to determine changes in brain age (as compared to two control groups), and voxel-based morphometry will be computed to determine contributions of different factors of the music intervention (cognitive, emotional, and social) to plastic changes of brain morphology, and a potential deceleration of brain atrophy. In addition, quality of life of patients. In cooperation with the Bergen municipality, and a strong network of national and international partners, the neurocognitive music therapy will be implemented, involving training of music therapists, and communication of results to patients, patient groups, and therapists.
Exclusion Criteria:
Behavioral: Music lessons
Behavioral: Training intervention
Also described as neurocognitive music therapy. Singing lessons will be provided once a week for a period of 12 months by a person with a qualification in music therapy, or by a person with a different relevant qualification (e.g. psychology and music teaching) under the supervision of a music therapist. Additionally, participants will have the opportunity to meet regularly (1-2 times per month) as a choir to sing the song they have learned together in a group.
Cognitive training that is comparable in scope and extent to the music lessons, but not using music. Group training sessions will be provided once a week for a period of 12 months by a person with a qualification in physiotherapy or occupational therapy. Group activities may include group tours such as mountain hikes and the like (about 2 times per month) and will follow an established program for the elderly.
Brain age
MRI-derived estimation of the deviation of a person's brain age from the chronological age of that same person, in months
Time frame: 12 months
Depression symptoms
Sum score of the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS; 15 yes/no items; possible range of scores 0-15; higher scores indicating more severe depression symptoms)
Time frame: 12 months
Living independently at home
Whether a person still lives at home or has moved to a care home (time-to-event data)
Time frame: 12 months and up to 5 years
Language abilities
Word Learning Test
Time frame: 12 months
Sensori-motor functions
Finger Tapping Test
Time frame: 12 months
Activities of daily living
Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL)
Time frame: 12 months
Disease progression
Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE)
Time frame: 12 months
Cognitive functioning
Stroop test, online version
Time frame: 12 months
Integrity of fibre tracts
Estimated from Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI)
Time frame: 12 months
Resting-state functional connectivity
Functional connectivity (posterior versus anterior/ventral) in default mode network (DMN)
Time frame: 12 months
Working alliance
Working Alliance Inventory-Short Revised (WAI-SR)
Time frame: 6 months
Plan to share: Undecided
This study is active, not recruiting, as verified in May 2024. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
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University of Bergen