Singing lessons to test memory in people with Alzheimer's disease
Tests intensive and minimal singing training in older adults living at home with Alzheimer's.
Plain-language title generated from the registry record
Registry title: Memory for Music: Individual Intensive Musical Training in Alzheimer's Disease
Key facts
- Where
- Vienna, AustriaSee the site
AI summary: who the study is looking for
From the trial's eligibility criteria. Machine-read from the registry text on this page, so it can be wrong. The registry text below and the trial team decide who can take part.
The trial is looking for home-dwelling adults aged 65 or older with Alzheimer's disease who are not musicians. They will learn new songs with a personal music teacher.
- Age
- 65 years or older
- Sex
- All sexes can join.
- Disease stage
- Diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease.
Main reasons for not taking part
- Dementia that is not Alzheimer's disease
- Living in a care home
- Having worked as a professional musician
Read by machine on 9 November 2026.
Could this be for you?
Answer for yourself. This is not a decision: only the study team can say whether you can take part.
- How old are you?
- Has a doctor told you that you have Alzheimer's disease?
Source: NCT06611878, who can take part
Where in Austria
- University of ViennaVienna, AustriaTaking people
Questions to ask the study team
- How often do I need to come in, and for how long each time?
- Are travel costs paid?
- Can I keep my own doctor?
- What happens if I want to stop?
Contact the study team: see the registry record → Contacts and Locations
Print a page for my doctorTrial details
- Who runs it
- NORCE Norwegian Research Centre AS
- Trial code
- NCT06611878
- Record updated
- 8 May 2026
- Original description
This project, called Memory for Music, focuses on the increasing number of people worldwide living with dementia, especially Alzheimer's disease (AD). AD typically starts with memory problems and eventually affects daily activities. Active music interventions, especially singing, have shown positive effects on mood, behavior, and quality of life for people with dementia, but their impact on cognition is not well understood. The project aims to address this gap by studying the effects of learning new songs on cognitive, behavioral, and brain functioning.Read full original descriptionShow less
Memory for Music: Effects of Individual Intensive Musical Training Based on Singing in Non-musicians With Alzheimer's Disease
This project, called Memory for Music, focuses on the increasing number of people worldwide living with dementia, especially Alzheimer's disease (AD). AD typically starts with memory problems and eventually affects daily activities. Active music interventions, especially singing, have shown positive effects on mood, behavior, and quality of life for people with dementia, but their impact on cognition is not well understood. The project aims to address this gap by studying the effects of learning new songs on cognitive, behavioral, and brain functioning.
The study will involve home-dwelling adults aged 65 or older with AD from Argentina, Austria, and Norway. Participants will undergo 5 months of intensive musical training (twice a week) and 5 months of minimal training (once a month) in a random order, with a 2-month break in between. The interventions include learning new songs with a personal music teacher. General cognition will be measured using the Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale - Cognitive (ADAS-cog), and memory for music will be assessed through various methods, including behavioral tasks and brain responses (EEG). Mood will also be evaluated in each session.
The goal is to include 113 participants to ensure reliable detection of meaningful effects. The study will explore how mood and memory for music contribute to changes in cognitive abilities, and whether these effects vary based on factors such as sex, age, AD stage, or previous musical training and general education. The project emphasizes collaboration between researchers, service providers, and users to ensure the study's relevance and applicability.
Inclusion: Diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease; Home-dwelling; Non-musician.
Exclusion: Non-Alzheimer dementia; Living in care home; History as a professional musician.