MusiCare: Music Therapy & Innovative Technology

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The following objectives are addressed: [Oi] Identifying a consistent set of convergent measures for the reliable assessment of cognition/well-being in MT studies integrating psychological measures with biomarkers; [Oii] Implementing robust MT protocols benefitting cognitive functions/well-being in ...

The following objectives are addressed: [Oi] Identifying a consistent set of convergent measures for the reliable assessment of cognition/well-being in MT studies integrating psychological measures with biomarkers; [Oii] Implementing robust MT protocols benefitting cognitive functions/well-being in ageing individuals with varying cognitive ability; [Oiii] Comparing the outcomes of one2one/small-group MT intervention in function of participants' cognitive abilities (ranging from healthy ageing to moderate impairment); [Oiv] Devising, implementing and testing a robotic platform associated with MT to facilitate therapists/caregivers' work through novel forms of interaction with ageing individuals, and potential translatability to communities. Our research questions/hypotheses are: [H1] Will MT benefits healthy, mildly and moderately impaired 65+ in outcome measures? MT > standard care. [H2] Which MT treatment (one2one/small group) is more effective in function of older adults' cognitive level? Best outcomes predicted as follows: healthy 65+ with small-group MT; for mildly impaired 65+, one2one = small-group MT; moderately impaired 65+ with one2one MT. [H3] Will improvements in cognitive functions derived from MT be associated with psychophysiological biomarkers? Convergent measures will be identified linking cognitive, behavioural and physiological improvement. [H4] What are the benefits of MT for caregivers? A reduction in participant psychiatric and depressive symptoms will correspond to caregivers' workload and stress perception decrease. [H5] Are there benefits from enriching MT with robotic technology? Specifically, the investigators hypothesize that a) the robot will have the capability of delivering interactive music training sessions, with the support of caregivers not specialised in MT and b) the continuous monitoring provided by the robotic platform will enhance the information available to therapists/caregivers without significantly burdening them. MusiCare aims are: [Ai] Provide care-homes, communities and policy-makers with clear guidelines concerning the utility, suitability and cost-effectiveness of Music Therapy (MT) interventions (one2one vs small-group) as a prevention/rehabilitation method suitable for social prescribing and support for positive ageing. [Aii] Provide music therapists with robust protocols, new tests specifically designed to work through musical tasks (Music Cognitive Test). [Aiii] Provide scholars/practitioners with a range of objective measures to select from, depending on their needs, in order to evaluate MT interventions in ageing. [Aiv] Explore how the assistive robotic technologies can enrich MT in care-home settings by empowering care-home staff with a new active role in assisting rehabilitative activities as well as facilitating inter-generational communication between families and ageing relatives. [Av] Increase public awareness about healthy ageing, and arts & wellbeing.

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