Sing Out Loud: a Choral Singing Program for Persons Living with Dementia

NCT06880237 | Not Yet Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: NUS-IRB-2023-164
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 56
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

We intend to investigate whether a singing programme for nursing home residents living with dementia can reduce the mental and physiological effects of dementia. The main questions it aims to answer are:

1. 1.Does participating in the Sing Out Loud (SOL) singing intervention lead to an improvement in the physiological well-being (increase in oxytocin and reduction in cortisol levels) of persons living with dementia (PWDs) in nursing homes?
2. 2.Will participation in the SOL singing intervention result in an improvement in PWDs' overall mood, temperament, and mental health (indicated by symptoms such as apathy, aggression, and depression).

Conditions

Dementia; Nursing Homes Residents

Keywords

Dementia; Nursing Home Residents; Singing; Biomarkers; NPI-Q

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• Changes from baseline in Oxytocin and Cortisol levels at 8 weeks

  Oxytocin and Cortisol levels will be collected via saliva samples. Increases in level of Oxytocin is indicative of increased feelings of social connection, while increased level of Cortisol is indicative of higher levels of stress

  From the beginning of the intervention (session 1) on week 1, to the final practice session (session 8) on week 8

• Change from baseline in the severity and distress of neuropsychiatric symptoms at 8 weeks

  Neuropsychiatric symptoms will be collected via the Neuropsychiatric Inventory Questionnaire (NPI-Q), which measures delusions, hallucinations, agitation/aggression, depression/dysphoria, anxiety, elation/euphoria, apathy/indifference, disinhibition, irritability, motor disturbance, nightime behaviours, and appetite. Higher scores indicate increased levels of severity or distress related to the symptom in question.

  From 2 weeks before session 1, up to the final practice session (session 8)

Secondary Outcomes (1)

• Qualitative feedback

  Within two weeks after the programme has ended

Study Arms (2)

Singing group

EXPERIMENTAL

The intervention for the Singing group will be the 8-week SOL programme.

Other: Singing

Waitlist Control group

NO INTERVENTION

The Waitlist Control group will not receive any intervention during the course of the study but will receive the SOL programme in its next iteration.

Interventions

Singing OTHER

The programme consists of nin 75-min-long singing sessions spread across 8 weeks (8 sessions are practice sessions and 1 session is a full dress rehearsal), and a final performance. The final rehearsal session and showcase performance will be held at a concert venue, while the 8 practice sessions will be conducted at the nursing home. Each session will kick off with a "Hello song", followed by warm-up activities and vocal exercises. Participants will then sing different songs to explore and rehearse as a group, before concluding with a "Goodbye song". All sessions throughout the programme are similarly structured to provide consistency for participants.

Singing group

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 21 Years - 90 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Aged 59 to 90 years old
• Diagnosed with dementia
• Living in the nursing home
• Interested in participating in the SOL programme
• Able to provide saliva samples

You may not qualify if:

• Unable to provide saliva samples
• Aged 21 to 65 years old
• Is the psychologist of a patient who is participating in the SOL programme
• Is able to speak English
• Unable to complete the NPI-Q questionnaire for their patient who is participating in the SOL programme
• Decline audio recording during the focus group discussion

Sponsors & Collaborators

• National University of Singapore: lead
• Esplanade: collaborator
• APEX Harmony Lodge: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

APEX Harmony Lodge

Singapore, Singapore, 518240, Singapore

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Dementia

Interventions

Singing

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Brain Diseases; Central Nervous System Diseases; Nervous System Diseases; Neurocognitive Disorders; Mental Disorders

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Phonation; Respiratory Physiological Phenomena; Circulatory and Respiratory Physiological Phenomena

Central Study Contacts

Kathleen R Agres, PhD

CONTACT

65 65166666; muskra@nus.edu.sg

Yifan Chen

CONTACT

65 65166666; ychen7@nus.edu.sg

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: SUPPORTIVE CARE
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Assistant Professor

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: March 11, 2025
• First Posted: March 17, 2025
• Study Start: March 12, 2025
• Primary Completion: June 1, 2025
• Study Completion: July 1, 2025
• Last Updated: March 17, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-02

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

SG (1)