NCT06768996

Music, Social Attention, and Dementia

The Impact of a Caregiver-patient Music Intervention on Social Attention and Connectedness in Persons Living With bvFTD and AD

• Status: Active Not Recruiting
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 80 (actual)
• Sponsor: University of California, San Francisco · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 55 Years – 89 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

This is an exploratory mixed-methods control-treatment study to evaluate if participation in rhythmic musical activities improves social attention and connectedness in individuals living with mild to moderate bvFTD and AD, and their caregivers. Secondary objectives include evaluating the potential relationships between brain networks associated with rhythm production, social attention, and connectedness in these populations.

Detailed description

The proposed research will evaluate potential relationships between synchronous rhythm production, social attention, and connectedness in persons living with mild to moderate bvFTD and AD and their caregivers. To evaluate these relationships, the proposed research will include data collection and analysis of the following: 1) pre-post evaluation of social attention and connectedness in individuals living with dementia and their caregivers; 2) control-treatment participation in a synchronous (treatment) or solo (control) rhythm production activity; and 3) secondary analysis of structural and functional MRI of resting state network connectivity between networks of the brain including areas associated with rhythm perception and production, namely the fronto-parietal, executive control, sensorimotor, dorsal and ventral attention networks.

Conditions

• Frontotemporal Dementia
• Alzheimer Disease

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	Synchronous Rhythm Production	The treatment group will take part in a dyad-based musical rhythm production activity facilitated by a trained musician. This activity will involve two rhythm conditions. The first condition requires tapping along to one pre-recorded audio track composed of an ensemble of Brazilian percussion instruments. The second condition requires tapping along with prerecorded audio tracks of rhythms progressively increasing in difficulty. Participants who indicate proficiency in learning to tap along in both conditions will be able to progress to more complex rhythms. All tapping data will be gathered through a Roland digital hand percussion controller.
BEHAVIORAL	Solo Rhythm Production	Participants randomized to the control condition will complete the same rhythm conditions to the same recorded audio tracks described in the experimental condition. However, they will not interchange their tapping with their caregiver. They will participate in the rhythm task as a solo producer.

Timeline

• Start date: 2025-01-10
• Primary completion: 2026-08-31
• Completion: 2026-12-01
• First posted: 2025-01-10
• Last updated: 2025-12-03

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United States