Music, Social Attention, and Dementia

Launched by UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO · Jan 6, 2025

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial, titled "Music, Social Attention, and Dementia," is exploring whether rhythmic musical activities can help improve social attention and feelings of connection in individuals with mild to moderate behavioral variant Frontotemporal Dementia (bvFTD) and Alzheimer's Disease (AD), as well as their caregivers. Researchers aim to understand how participating in music might impact the brain’s ability to connect with others and maintain social interactions.

To be eligible for this study, patients must be at least 55 years old with a diagnosis of bvFTD or at least 70 years old with a diagnosis of AD. Caregivers must be 55 or older and not have any neurological or psychiatric conditions. Participants can expect to engage in musical activities and share their experiences, while the researchers will evaluate any changes in social interaction and attention. It’s important to know that individuals who are actively involved in making music for 30 minutes or more each week will not qualify for the study, but those who simply listen to music are welcome to participate.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• • Inclusion (patients)
• • Male or female ≥ 55 years of age living with bvFTD; or ≥ 70 years of age living with AD.
• • Documentation of a bvFTD or AD diagnosis as evidenced by one or more known clinical features.
• • Written informed consent obtained from subject.
• • Inclusion (caregivers)
• • Male or female ≥ 55 years of age living without diagnosis of neurological or psychiatric disease.
• • Individual capable of independent execution of activities of daily living, including personal care and hygiene, dressing, eating, use of a toilet, and mobility.
• • Written informed consent.
• • Exclusion (patients)
• • Presence of a condition or abnormality that in the opinion of the Investigator would compromise the safety of the patient or the quality of the data.
• • community-dwelling individuals not living with bvFTD
• • community-dwelling individuals with normal cognitive functioning
• • Individuals living with Alzheimer's disease or related dementias (primary progressive aphasia, semantic variant FTD, Lewy body dementia, vascular dementia, Parkinson's disease, or mixed dementia)
• • Individuals with a score of 2 or higher on the CDR
• • Individuals with a history of neuropsychiatric illness that would interfere with performance (e.g., transient psych hx of depression okay, hx of schizophrenia will be excluded) or medicated depression to control symptoms.
• • Individuals with unstable (e.g., cancer other than basal cell skin) or chronic (e.g., severe diabetes) medical conditions
• • Individuals with MRI contraindications (e.g., pregnancy, claustrophobia, metal implants that are contraindicated for MRI)
• • Individuals with physical impairment(s) precluding motor response
• • Individuals with inability to walk two blocks without stopping
• • Individuals with hearing or vision deficits that will not allow for completion of testing; inability to hear conversation conducted at an average volume (\~60 dB)
• • Individuals who practice music making or production for at least 30-mins per week
• • This may include instrumental or vocal, writing or arranging, alone or in groups
• • Listening to music for more than 30-mins weekly will not exclude the individual from the study
• • Exclusion (Caregivers)
• • Presence of a condition or abnormality that in the opinion of the Investigator would compromise the safety of the patient or the quality of the data.
• • Community-dwelling individuals living with diagnosis of a neurological or psychiatric disease
• • o Community-dwelling individuals with abnormal cognitive functioning
• • Individuals living with dementia
• • Individuals with a history of neuropsychiatric illness that would interfere with performance (e.g., transient psych hx of depression okay, hx of schizophrenia will be excluded) or medicated depression to control symptoms
• • Individuals with unstable (e.g., cancer other than basal cell carcinoma) or chronic (e.g., severe diabetes) medical conditions
• • Individuals with physical impairment(s) precluding motor control
• • Individuals with inability to walk two blocks without stopping
• • Individuals with hearing or vision deficits that will not allow for completion of testing; inability to hear conversation conducted at an average volume (\~60 dB)
• • Individuals who practice music making or production for at least 30-mins per week
• • This may include instrumental or vocal, writing or arranging, alone or in groups
• • Listening to music for more than 30-mins weekly will not exclude the individual from the study