Improv Music Therapy for Older Adults

NCT07419022 | Not Yet Recruiting

• 2 other identifiers: 5K01AG088475-021K01AG088475-01A1
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 40
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Older adults and their care partners will participate in music therapy sessions for approximately 8 weeks. Before and after the 8 week study period, participants will fill out questionnaires about their mood, stress levels, and emotions. During the music therapy sessions, they may be observed or asked questions about the music therapy sessions.

Conditions

Alzheimer's Disease (AD); Older Adults (65 Years and Older)

Keywords

music; improvisation; person living with dementia; caregiver; Alzheimer's Disease and related diseases; mechanism of behavior change; stress reduction; behavior change

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• Science of Behavior Change (SOBC) Brief-COPE

  The Brief COPE is a 28 item measure of strategies used for coping or regulating cognitions in response to stressors. The questions assess the frequency with which a person uses different coping strategies (e.g. "I've been turning to work or other activities to take my mind off strings") and the respondent gives a rating on a 5 item scale (1= I haven't been doing this at all to 4 I've been doing this a lot).

  Baseline and Post-Intervention, 8 weeks

• SOBC Perceived Stress Scale

  The Perceived Stress Scale ask participants about their feelings and thoughts during the last month. There are 10 items and participants are asked how often they felt orr thought a certian way (0 = never to 4 very often)

  Baseline and Post Intervention, 8 weeks

Secondary Outcomes (4)

• Dementia Mood Picture Test

  Baseline and Post Intervention, 8 weeks

• SOBC Positive and Negative Affect (PANAS)

  Baseline and Post Intervention, 8 weeks

• Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI-Q)

  Baseline and Post Intervention, 8 weeks

• Kingston Caregivers STress Scale

  Baseline and Post-Intervention, 8 weeks

Study Arms (2)

Group A

EXPERIMENTAL

Clinical Improvisation Immediately

Behavioral: Clinical Improvisation

Group B

EXPERIMENTAL

Delayed Onset Clinical improvisation

Behavioral: Clinical Improvisation

Interventions

Clinical Improvisation BEHAVIORAL

Clinical improvisation music therapy offered as group sessions delivered by board-certified music therapist.

Group A; Group B

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 60 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Age 60 and over, living independently in the community
• Medical diagnosis of Alzheimer's Disease
• Mild dementia defined as MoCA score between 16-20, or MMSE score between 19-24
• Sufficient visual and hearing acuity (age-related to normal hearing loss with assistive devices)
• English fluency rated fairly well to well (self-rated English fluency)
• Age 18 or Older
• Moderate to good English fluency (self-rated English fluency)
• Willing to participate in intervention with PLWD

You may not qualify if:

• Medical diagnosis of severe dementia (any etiology)
• Non-AD dementia diagnosis (e.g., frontotemporal dementia)
• Serious medical condition (e.g., an end-stage disease requiring hospice, aphasia from stroke, paralysis, brain injury) requiring active medical management that would interfere with participation in the study
• Significant difficulty moving the hands or arms (severe arthritis, neuropathy)
• Plans to move out of the area within six months
• Current but not prior severe psychiatric disorder (e.g., schizophrenia, bipolar disorder)
• Serious medical condition (e.g., an end-stage disease requiring hospice, aphasia from stroke, paralysis, brain injury) requiring active medical management that would interfere with participation in the study
• Plans to move out of the area

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of California, San Francisco: lead
• National Institute on Aging (NIA): collaborator

Study Sites (1)

University of California, San Francisco

San Francisco, California, 94158, United States

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Alzheimer Disease

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Dementia; Brain Diseases; Central Nervous System Diseases; Nervous System Diseases; Tauopathies; Neurodegenerative Diseases; Neurocognitive Disorders; Mental Disorders

Study Officials

• Karen Barrett, PhD

  University of California, San Francisco

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Central Study Contacts

Karen C Barrett, PhD

CONTACT

4153534501; Karen.Barrett@ucsf.edu

Howie Rosen, MD

CONTACT

]415 476-5567; howie.rosen@ucsf.edu

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: SUPPORTIVE CARE
• Intervention Model: CROSSOVER
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Model Details: This is a waitlisted control pilot study

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: February 11, 2026
• First Posted: February 18, 2026
• Study Start (Estimated): December 1, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): December 1, 2028
• Study Completion (Estimated): December 1, 2028
• Last Updated: February 23, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-02

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

US (1)