Individualized music program improves outcomes for dementia patients

Listening to individualized music programs could benefit the behavioral and psychological symptoms in patient with dementia. In a study published by The American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, researchers tested the efficiency of the MUSIC & MEMORY (M&M) music program in addressing symptoms associated with dementia.

Healthcare providers are often searching for alternative treatment opportunities and to reduce the number of medications their patients take. This study, which takes place at Brown University, evaluates the M&M program in reducing the number of anxiolytic and antipsychotic medication, as well as reducing behavioral problems and depressed mood.

A total of 98 nursing homes implemented the M&M program in 2013 with 12,905 residents with Alzheimer’s and other dementias. Measurements were compared to 98 non-M&M nursing homes with 12,811 residents.

Results showed that over a six-month period, the number of M&M patients who stopped using antipsychotic medication went from 17.6 percent to 20.1 percent, while it remained consistent at non-M&M facilities. Anxiolytic medication use also decreased from 24.4 percent to 23.5 percent while increased in non-M&M facilities. Although there was no significant improvement in mood, researchers noted an improvement in disruptive behaviors.

"This is promising," said co-lead author Rosa Baier, an associate professor of practice at the Brown University School of Public Health. "It's a first step to understanding that there may be improvements that can be attributed to this intervention.”