Dementia Choirs for Social and Psychological Wellbeing

N/AActive Not RecruitingNCT07011498

Norwegian Academy of Music100 enrolled

Overview

Loneliness is common in both persons living with dementia and their informal caregivers, and a factor negatively affecting disease progression, health and wellbeing. However, intervention studies to address loneliness show inconsistent effects. This study aims to evaluate effect of a community-based group intervention - music therapy informed dementia choirs - on loneliness for home-dwelling people with dementia and their informal caregivers. We will recruit participants to five dementia choirs with 15-20 people in each and implement a crossover study with measures collected at four timepoints: baseline, 12-week follow up, 22-week follow-up after an extended summer holiday, and 12-week follow-up after the summer holiday. The primary outcome, loneliness in participants living with dementia, will be measured using the De Jong Gierveld loneliness scale. Secondary outcomes will be depression, experience of meaning in life, apathy and mood for the participants living with dementia, and loneliness and caregiver burden for the informal caregivers. Cognition in the participants living with dementia, measured with the RUDAS assessment tool, will be included as a control variable. Further, measurements to evaluate the cost effectiveness of the choir intervention will be included, and qualitative data collected through semi-structured interviews to explore the experiences and possible impacts of the choir intervention in the participants' lives.

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

Purpose

SUPPORTIVE_CARE

Masking

NONE

Enrollment

100

Conditions

Dementia

Interventions

Dementia choirOTHER

Music therapy informed dementia choirs will be delivered once a week. Rehearsals last app. 2 hours, including a social break. Each choir will be led by 1 conductor and 1 accompanist. The choir leaders will have relevant professional qualifications that supplement each other, such as a music therapist, music pedagogue, conductor, singer, singing teacher, or health care professional with additional music competence. They will be trained by the research team to deliver the choirs in a dementia friendly and music therapy informed way. In addition, the choir leaders will receive supervision from the research team throughout the intervention periods. The choirs will involve volunteers to assist during rehearsals and breaks. The volunteers will also receive training on how to support the choir participants in a dementia friendly way.

Eligibility

Sex: ALLMin age: 18 Years

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: * Dementia diagnosis (Alzheimers, Lewy-body, fronto-temporal, vascular, mixed, Parkinson's dementia) or cognitive impairment as reported by the person themselves/their caregiver * Informal caregiver of participant with dementia: A person who has a close relationship with a recruited choir participant living with dementia. A close relationship may for instance be a spouse/partner, sibling, adult child, friend, niece or nephew * Living at home in the community Exclusion Criteria: * Significant hearing impairment that is not resolved through the use of a hearing aid device and limit their capacity to enjoy musical experiences. * Formal (paid) caregiver of participant with dementia

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Change from baseline in degree of loneliness in participants with dementia at 12 weeks (primary), 22 weeks and 36 weeks follow up

Measured by the standardised questionnaire the De Jong Gierveld 6-item Loneliness Scale