Memory for Music: Individual Intensive Musical Training in Alzheimer's Disease

Music training entails learning novel songs the participant chooses from a list. Songs are similar in complexity and length (number of words, high frequency words, harmony, musical complexity, length of verses and chorus). Offering a variety of songs allows to examine memory performance regardless of the specific song chosen. Sessions last 30 to 40 minutes, conducted based on a manual (1. mood observation; 2. warm-up; 3. teaching the chorus, observed liking of song; 4. singing entire chorus; 5. singing chorus in context, 6. session closure with favourite song; 7. final mood observation; session rating), and are video-recorded. External evaluators audit the sessions video recordings to determine adherence to the manual. Sessions are offered twice a week for 5 months.

Music training entails learning novel songs the participant chooses from a list. Songs are similar in complexity and length (number of words, high frequency words, harmony, musical complexity, length of verses and chorus). Offering a variety of songs allows to examine memory performance regardless of the specific song chosen. Sessions last 30 to 40 minutes, conducted based on a manual (1. mood observation; 2. warm-up; 3. teaching the chorus, observed liking of song; 4. singing entire chorus; 5. singing chorus in context, 6. session closure with favourite song; 7. final mood observation; session rating), and are video-recorded. External evaluators audit the sessions video recordings to determine adherence to the manual. Sessions are offered once a month for 5 months.

Medications, behavioural interventions and other treatments that participants may receive outside the study during the period of participation.