NCT03907748

Brief Summary

This international study evaluates the impact of home-based caregiver-delivered music and reading interventions for people with dementia. The project aims to address the need for improved informal dementia care by training family caregivers to utilise a music or reading intervention with the person they are caring for. The interventions aim to decrease behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia as well as improve quality of life and well being of both people living with dementia and their caregivers. Participants will be allocated into a music intervention group, a reading intervention group or standard care group. In addition, the researchers will seek to determine the cost-effectiveness of using the music intervention.

Trial Health

93
On Track

Trial Health Score

Automated assessment based on enrollment pace, timeline, and geographic reach

Enrollment
864

participants targeted

Target at P75+ for not_applicable

Timeline
Completed

Started Nov 2019

Typical duration for not_applicable

Geographic Reach
5 countries

5 active sites

Status
completed

Health score is calculated from publicly available data and should be used for screening purposes only.

Trial Relationships

Click on a node to explore related trials.

Study Timeline

Key milestones and dates

First Submitted

Initial submission to the registry

April 3, 2019

Completed
6 days until next milestone

First Posted

Study publicly available on registry

April 9, 2019

Completed
8 months until next milestone

Study Start

First participant enrolled

November 20, 2019

Completed
3.1 years until next milestone

Primary Completion

Last participant's last visit for primary outcome

December 23, 2022

Completed
Same day until next milestone

Study Completion

Last participant's last visit for all outcomes

December 23, 2022

Completed
Last Updated

February 9, 2023

Status Verified

February 1, 2022

Enrollment Period

3.1 years

First QC Date

April 3, 2019

Last Update Submit

February 8, 2023

Conditions

Keywords

music therapymusic interventionshome-based interventionsReadingdementiacare giver

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

  • Change from baseline of behavioural and psychological symptoms of participants with dementia at post-intervention and 6-month follow-up

    Measured by the Neuropsychiatric Inventory Questionnaire (NPI-Q). Severity scores range from 0-36, where higher scores indicate more severe behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia. Distress scores range from 0-60, where higher values represent higher levels of distress due to symptoms.

    baseline, 12-weeks (primary time-point), and 6-months after intervention commencement (follow-up)

Secondary Outcomes (9)

  • Change from baseline of depression in participants with dementia at post-intervention and 6-month follow-up

    baseline, 12-weeks (primary time-point), and 6-months after intervention commencement (follow-up)

  • Change from baseline of quality of life of participants with dementia at post-intervention and 6-month follow-up

    baseline, 12-weeks (primary time-point), and 6-months after intervention commencement (follow-up)

  • Change from baseline of depression in caregiver participants at post-intervention and 6-month follow-up

    baseline, 12-weeks (primary time-point), and 6-months after intervention commencement (follow-up)

  • Change from baseline of resilience in caregiver participants at post-intervention and 6-month follow-up

    baseline, 12-weeks (primary time-point), and 6-months after intervention commencement (follow-up)

  • Change from baseline in caregiver competence of caregiver participants at post-intervention and 6-month follow-up

    baseline, 12-weeks (primary time-point), and 6-months after intervention commencement (follow-up)

  • +4 more secondary outcomes

Other Outcomes (6)

  • Intervention dosage throughout intervention

    Throughout the 12-weeks caregiver-delivered intervention (at least 5x per week)

  • Caregivers' experiences of delivering the music and reading interventions

    12-weeks (primary time point)

  • Caregivers' experiences and reactions to the music and reading intervention training sessions

    Post intervention training sessions at 1-week, 3-weeks, and 6-weeks

  • +3 more other outcomes

Study Arms (3)

Music Intervention

EXPERIMENTAL

The music intervention will be provided to participant dyads (people with dementia and their cohabiting family caregivers) allocated to the first intervention. Caregivers will be trained to use the music intervention in three 2-hour training sessions with an intervention trainer (a music therapist). Training will take place at the dyad's home. The caregiver will then be asked to deliver the music intervention to the person with dementia at least 5x per week for 30 minutes.

Other: Music Intervention

Reading Intervention

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

The reading intervention will be provided to participant dyads (people with dementia and their cohabiting caregivers) allocated to the second intervention. Caregivers will be trained to use the reading intervention in three 2-hour training sessions with an intervention trainer. Training will take place at the dyad's home. The caregiver will then be asked to deliver the reading intervention to the person with dementia at least 5x per week for 30 minutes.

Other: Reading Intervention

Standard Care

NO INTERVENTION

Participant dyads (people with dementia and their cohabiting caregivers) allocated to the standard care group will not receive any training or be asked to deliver an intervention.

Interventions

After training, caregivers will deliver the music intervention to the person with dementia whom they care for. The music intervention will include: a) singing familiar/preferred music followed by discussions facilitated by the caregiver about any associated meanings or memories; b) movement to music (e.g. upper body and arms imitating familiar dance movements to music); c) instrument playing; and d) listening to familiar/preferred relaxing or enlivening music (dependent upon symptoms present in the moment). These methods are known to assist in emotion regulation and increase cognitive reserve (e.g. attention and perceptual-motor function).

Music Intervention

After training, caregivers will deliver the reading intervention to the person with dementia whom they care for. The reading intervention will include: a) the caregiver reading aloud to the person they are caring for; b) the person with dementia reading aloud to their caregiver; and c) discussion of the text and personal responses. Strategies to engage the person with dementia and to create opportunities for meaningful dialogue will be provided, as well as guidance on selecting reading material that is accessible to the person's level of cognitive impairment.

Reading Intervention

Eligibility Criteria

Age18 Years+
Sexall
Healthy VolunteersNo
Age GroupsAdult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

  • Dyads (cohabiting) who are close in relationship and where one member has a diagnosis of dementia according to ICD-10 criteria (Alzheimer's Disease \[AD\], Frontotemporal Dementia, Vascular Dementia \[VD\], Lewy Body Disease, or mixed dementia) as determined by a clinician experienced in diagnosing dementia. Close in relationship refers to a caregiver who may be a sibling, spouse, adult child, friend, niece or nephew or any person who has a close relationship to the person with dementia, that is, anyone who is not a formal paid caregiver.
  • Dyads where the person with dementia has a Neuropsychiatric Inventory-Questionnaire (NPI-Q) Score of ≥6 (from a maximum score of 36)

You may not qualify if:

  • Dyads where either or both the caregiver or person with dementia have significant hearing impairments that are not resolved through the use of a hearing aid device and limit their capacity to enjoy musical experiences

Contact the study team to confirm eligibility.

Sponsors & Collaborators

Study Sites (5)

The University of Melbourne

Melbourne, 3006, Australia

Location

University of Applied Sciences Würzburg-Schweinfurt

Würzburg, 97070, Germany

Location

Norwegian Academy of Music

Oslo, 0302, Norway

Location

University of Physical Education in Krakow

Krakow, Poland

Location

Anglia Ruskin University

Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, CB1 1PT, United Kingdom

Location

Related Publications (4)

  • Bukowska AA, Janus E, Soo VP, Smrokowska-Reichmann A, Hsu MH, Stensaeth KA, Odell-Miller H, Tamplin J, Wosch T, Sousa TV, Lamb KE, Braat S, Baker FA. Relationship between dementia diagnostic characteristics and severity of depressive symptoms in a cross-sectional analysis of HOMESIDE baseline data. Sci Rep. 2025 Oct 21;15(1):36643. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-20385-z.

  • Baker FA, Pac Soo V, Bloska J, Blauth L, Bukowska AA, Flynn L, Hsu MH, Janus E, Johansson K, Kvamme T, Lautenschlager N, Miller H, Pool J, Smrokowska-Reichmann A, Stensaeth K, Teggelove K, Warnke S, Wosch T, Odell-Miller H, Lamb K, Braat S, Sousa TV, Tamplin J. Home-based family caregiver-delivered music and reading interventions for people living with dementia (HOMESIDE trial): an international randomised controlled trial. EClinicalMedicine. 2023 Oct 2;65:102224. doi: 10.1016/j.eclinm.2023.102224. eCollection 2023 Nov.

  • Pac Soo V, Baker FA, Sousa TV, Odell-Miller H, Stensaeth K, Wosch T, Bukowska AA, Tamplin J, Lautenschlager N, Braat S, Lamb KE. Statistical analysis plan for HOMESIDE: a randomised controlled trial for home-based family caregiver-delivered music and reading interventions for people living with dementia. Trials. 2023 May 8;24(1):316. doi: 10.1186/s13063-023-07327-8.

  • Baker FA, Bloska J, Braat S, Bukowska A, Clark I, Hsu MH, Kvamme T, Lautenschlager N, Lee YC, Smrokowska-Reichmann A, Sousa TV, Stensaeth KA, Tamplin J, Wosch T, Odell-Miller H. HOMESIDE: home-based family caregiver-delivered music and reading interventions for people living with dementia: protocol of a randomised controlled trial. BMJ Open. 2019 Nov 19;9(11):e031332. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2019-031332.

MeSH Terms

Conditions

DementiaDementia, VascularLewy Body DiseaseMixed DementiasAlzheimer DiseaseDepression

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Brain DiseasesCentral Nervous System DiseasesNervous System DiseasesNeurocognitive DisordersMental DisordersCerebrovascular DisordersIntracranial ArteriosclerosisIntracranial Arterial DiseasesLeukoencephalopathiesArteriosclerosisArterial Occlusive DiseasesVascular DiseasesCardiovascular DiseasesParkinsonian DisordersBasal Ganglia DiseasesMovement DisordersSynucleinopathiesNeurodegenerative DiseasesTauopathiesBehavioral SymptomsBehavior

Study Officials

  • Felicity Baker, Professor

    University of Melbourne

    STUDY DIRECTOR

Study Design

Study Type
interventional
Phase
not applicable
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Masking
SINGLE
Who Masked
OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
Masking Details
Outcome measures will be collected by researchers who are not aware of the whether the participants' are allocated to the music, reading or standard care groups. The participants will be reminded not to reveal the group they are in to the person collecting the data. The participants themselves cannot be blinded due to the active nature of the intervention.
Purpose
SUPPORTIVE CARE
Intervention Model
PARALLEL
Model Details: Participants (people with dementia and their cohabiting family caregivers) will be allocated to either (1) the music intervention group, (2) the reading intervention group or (3) the standard care group.
Sponsor Type
OTHER
Responsible Party
SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

First Submitted

April 3, 2019

First Posted

April 9, 2019

Study Start

November 20, 2019

Primary Completion

December 23, 2022

Study Completion

December 23, 2022

Last Updated

February 9, 2023

Record last verified: 2022-02

Data Sharing

IPD Sharing
Will share

In accordance with the Australian Code for Responsible Conduct of Research (Universities Australia, 2018), all data will be retained for retrieval and re-use in future research where participant permission is granted. Data made available will include individual-level deidentified participant data, reports on adverse events, and deidentified interview transcripts.

Shared Documents
STUDY PROTOCOL
Time Frame
Following project completion, de-identified anonymised data will be made available (with participant consent). According to the GDPR, the consortium have agreed for reused for 10 years after the project has been completed.
Access Criteria
Data will be made available on the Australian Data Archive https://ada.edu.au and listed on Research Australia's https://researchaustralia.org website to facilitate access for future research.

Locations