The feasibility of a dyadic music-based intervention for persons living with dementia and their care partners
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PROJECT SUMMARY Persons living with dementia (PLWD) and their care partners (hereafter “dyad”) face significant threats to their relationship quality as it shifts from being mutually supportive and interdependent to one primarily focused on PLWD complex needs. Although largely viewed from the care partner’s perspective, poor relationship quality is associated with increased stress, depression, anxiety, and relationship dissatisfaction as well as diminished well-being and overall health in both dyad members. Prior research suggests that improving mutuality (feelings of intimacy, connection, and understanding) can ameliorate dyadic relationship quality. Music-based interventions (MBIs) have shown promise for alleviating depression, agitation, and anxiety in PLWD, as well as improving psychosocial well-being, and ability to cope for caregivers of PLWD. While these results are promising, important MBI characteristics that aim to enhance relationship quality remain unaddressed. By targeting mutuality within dyads, a theoretically grounded MBI may transform everyday music listening into a meaningful shared experience and thereby improve relationship quality. Our long-term goal is to develop and optimize targeted music listening interventions for dyads living with dementia. The primary goal of the proposed stage 1B study is to adapt an existing MBI for dyads which builds mutuality through targeted skill development and ongoing interventionist support. The specific aims of this project are to 1) adapt an existing music listening intervention using direct input from PLWD and family care partner dyads; 2) finalize the dyadic MBI and study procedures, measurement selection, and interventionist training; and 3) conduct an attention- control pilot RCT to establish the feasibility and acceptability of the dyadic music listening intervention. Thirty dyads of PLWD and their care partners will be randomized to either the 6-week listening to shared music listening intervention or an attention control group (reminiscence activity). We will examine both feasibility and acceptability using pre-determined benchmarks. Findings from this study will provide evidence to conduct a future Hybrid Type I efficacy trial. This will ultimately provide new opportunities to support the well-being of dementia family care partner dyads and offer a potential paradigm in how PLWD dyads relate to each other.
