Individualized Music Playlist Based on ISO-Principle for De-escalating Agitation of People Living With Dementia: A Randomized Controlled Feasibility Study

Abstract:

Agitation is exhibited by almost every dementia patient during the course of illness, and that leads to detrimental consequences on both patients and caregivers. Listening to preferred music is found useful in reducing the agitation frequency of people with dementia. However, the music intervention is usually provided regularly and the music psychotherapy ISO-Principle is ignored in published studies. The ISO-Principle that commonly adopted in music therapy using live-music, suggests that characteristics of music being played (e.g. tempo, melody and lyrics) should match with the current state (e.g. manic/depressive) of the client, and gradually modify these characteristics to the desired state. This randomized feasibility trial aims to evaluate the feasibility of using individualized music playlist with the music genres sequenced according to the ISO-Principle, for de-escalating agitation of people with dementia, and provide preliminary evidence on efficacy.

Eighty-four nursing home residents with agitation will be randomly allocated into music listening or control groups. Acceptability, implementation and practicality, as well as efficacy (in terms of agitation intensity, stress and mood states before and after the de-escalating music intervention or control condition; and occurrence of agitation and other behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia before and after the 6-week observation period).

Feasibility indicators will be reported descriptively. The efficacy of (1) music listening in de-escalating symptoms and (2) reducing occurrence frequency of symptoms after 6 weeks, will be analysed with Generalized Estimating Equation. If the findings are positive, the intervention have a great potential to be adopted as the gold standard of care in the nursing homes to solve a common yet detrimental clinical problem.