Sing your way to better memory: music therapy trial for Alzheimer's shows promise
NCT ID NCT04666077
First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study tested whether daily singing of personally meaningful songs can boost memory and language in people with Alzheimer's disease or mild cognitive impairment. One hundred participants worked with a music therapist and sang a 'song of kin' at home for 12 months. Researchers measured changes in cognition, behavior, and daily living skills to see if this simple, enjoyable activity could make a difference.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- music therapy singing intervention
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could offer a simple, home-based activity to help maintain memory and language skills in people with Alzheimer's or mild cognitive impairment.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, completed trial with 100 participants, so results may not apply to everyone. The intervention is behavioral, so benefits may be modest and not a substitute for medical treatment.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
-
Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
New York, New York, 10029, United States
-
Louis Armstrong Center for Music and Medicine, Mount Sinai Beth Israel
New York, New York, 10003, United States
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