The development of a program intended to improve quality of life by a combination therapy (music and exercise) for dementia patients and caregivers.

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26670369
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: General internal medicine(including psychosomatic medicine)
• Research Institution: Aichi Prefectural University
• Principal Investigator: Hirano Akemi 愛知県立大学, 看護学部, 助教 (30438197)
• Research Collaborator: UMEGAKI Hiroyuki 名古屋大学, 大学院医学系研究科, 准教授 (40345898) ; SUZUKI Yusuke 名古屋大学, 医学部附属病院, 准教授 (90378167)
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: アディポネクチン / 高感度CRP / ホモシステイン / 動脈硬化 / 介入研究 / 身体活動量 / 介護負担感 / 認知症

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study aimed to determine whether an activity program that incorporates music/exercise therapy and caregivers of patients with dementia can reduce stress associated with caregiving, and whether carrying out the program at home can improve levels of atherosclerosis promoting factors such as adiponectin, homocysteine, and high sensitivity C-reactive protein. Participants were elderly caregivers and patients with Alzheimer-type dementia. The intervention group took part in an activity program that incorporated music/exercise therapy (20 minutes/twice a week/3months), while the control group carried on with routine daily care.
There were 42 participating caregiver, and levels of adiponectin and homocysteine improved in caregivers of both intervention and control groups. GDS improved significantly in the intervention group, but did not change in the control group. While the ZBI score did not significantly change in the intervention group, it significantly worsened in the control group.

Free Research Field

老年内科