Novel AI-driven music-based intervention to reduce behavioral and psychological symptoms for people living with dementia

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias are often characterized by behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) such as agitation, anxiety, and depression. Pharmacological treatments are costly and can have serious side effects. Music-based interventions (MBIs) may be effective non-pharmacological interventions, but are not feasible because they present several practical limitations to personalize the intervention or time its delivery. Limitations include the need for trained staff and asking people living with dementia for their explicit feedback (e.g., to verbally convey their music preferences).Thus, there is an unmet need for easy-to-use, practical and effective MBIs to treat BPSD. Pilot studies with healthy adults and people living with dementia show that the Rubato MBI addresses this unmet need by using artificial intelligence to automatically create biometrically personalized music playlists targeted at reducing BPSD. The Rubato MBI personalizes the music intervention automatically without a trained professional, relying only on physiological cues of stress and not requiring individuals living with dementia to communicate verbally. This Phase I study conducted with people living with dementia residing in nursing homes will develop and validate a protocolized, biometrically-tailored Rubato MBI that is safe, feasible, and acceptable; and demonstrate the reliable collection of outcomes that may be affected by the Rubato MBI. The study’s specific aims are: Aim 1 – Enhance the Rubato MBI with real-time alerts when residents of the nursing home reach a certain stress level, giving staff the options to do nothing, go to the resident and start the Rubato MBI, or remotely start/stop the Rubato MBI; and Aim 2 – Assess how feasible, acceptable and satisfactory the Rubato MBI may be for reducing BPSD among people living with dementia residing in nursing homes.