Effects of Binaural Beats and Spatialized Music on Behavioural and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia in Assisted Living Facility Residents: A Randomized Controlled Pilot Protocol
The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of Binaural Beat Music (BBM; personalized music playlist with binaural beats), Spatialized Music (SM; personalized and spatialized music playlist), their combination, and possible interaction on older adults in an assisted living community who are either living with a dementia diagnosis or are experiencing typical age-related changes. The control condition is a personalized music playlist without binaural beats and spatialization. It is hypothesized that BBM, SM, and their combination each improve aspects of BPSD compared to controls over a two-week intervention period. The Specific Aims of the study are (1) to evaluate whether BBM, SM, and/or their combination is superior to control in reducing BPSD severity (primary outcome); (2) to evaluate whether BBM, SM, and/or their combination is superior to control in reducing caregiver distress (secondary outcomes); and (3) to evaluate the effects of BBM, SM, and/or their combination on improving overall well-being and mood (secondary outcomes).
• (1) age 55-95 years; (2) the subject and/or his/her legal guardian have signed written informed consent; (3) the subject is able to complete the entire trial period; and (4) a minimum of fifty percent of the subjects will have a diagnosis of a dementia condition with a moderate to severe progression.