Research suggests listening to, or singing, songs can provide emotional and behavioural benefits for people living with dementia. This new project will fine-tune how its prescribed.

There are currently an estimated 472,000 people living with all forms of dementia in Australia.

Researchers at Murdoch’s Centre for Healthy Ageing are working to identify how music can be used to manage dementia. This research is expected to help people right across the care network.

“Dementia is a growing health issue and aged-care facilities are working hard to manage the challenging behaviours associated with it, such as agitation, depression and anxiety,” said Associate Professor Hamid Sohrabi, Director of the Centre for Healthy Ageing.

“Typically, these symptoms are treated with antipsychotic and sedative medications, but they have limitations in  helping people with dementia.”

A growing body of empirical evidence supports the benefits of music listening for reducing anxiety, agitation, depressive symptoms, and improving quality of life in people with dementia.

Personalised music delivered via headphones can moderate symptoms of dementia, with daily music exposure appearing to have at least temporary positive impact on the moods and behaviours."
Associate Professor Hamid Sohrabi

“What we’re exploring is the ideal dosage and duration of music intervention. Does daily exposure to personalised and preferred music improve quality of life? Does it reduce the severity and frequency of symptoms? And how long do positive outcomes last?”

Improved quality of life of people with dementia is the primary measure for the research, with secondary outcomes including decreased behavioural disturbances, increased cognitive functioning and improved carers’ quality of life.

“If we can identify the optimal ‘dose’ of music to help manage the behavioural manifestations of dementia, this project will benefit those people living with dementia, their family members, as well as their nursing-home or aged-care staff,” said Dr Jon Prince, from the Centre for Healthy Ageing.

The study will recruit 60 participants and will randomly assign them to one of five trial groups, each given a variation of music and audiobooks and test their responses.

This study will be the first to examine the effects of personalised music of specific frequency and duration on the quality of life of the people with dementia and their carers in short and longer term follow ups.

The project has been awarded funding from the Lindsay & Heather Payne Medical Research Charitable Foundation and has the support of the Rotary Club of Freshwater Bay and Hall & Prior Aged Care Group.

This research supports the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 3 to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages.

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