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Can music and conversation ease dementia symptoms? volunteers put it to the test

NCT ID NCT06079216

Symptom relief Sponsor: Hopeful Aging Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

This study's is highlighted.

Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now This study
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Sep 15, 2026 · Last updated Sep 16, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

Care homes face shortages of trained staff, and more than half of residents have some form of dementia. Researchers are testing whether retired volunteers can lead a group music and discussion program called Making Connections Thru Music. The study enrolls 196 people: volunteers aged 55 and older, care-home staff, and residents with dementia. Volunteers receive online training and use an app with a structured session plan. The goal is to see if the program improves engagement, mood, and quality of life for residents.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
a group music and discussion program led by trained volunteers or care-home staff
What this could lead to
If it works, care homes could offer a low-cost music program that keeps residents with dementia more engaged and lifts their mood, even when trained staff are scarce.
What could go wrong
This is an early-stage study, so it may not show clear benefits. Music sessions may not suit everyone with dementia, and volunteer-led groups could vary in quality.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Phase

Not a phased trial

Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.

Participants

About 196 people

The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.

Started

Dec 2025

Expected to finish

Apr 2027

An estimate. End dates often move.

Lead sponsor

A company

The lead sponsor is a pharmaceutical, biotech, or medical-device company.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Ages

18 to 103 years

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Accepted

You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: * Volunteers must be aged 55+ and speak/read conversational English. * Staff participants must be at least 18 years old, work within a residential care facility participating in the study, and speak and read English. Exclusion Criteria: * Volunteers will be excluded if they are diagnosed with dementia based on self-report and/or if they score 23 or lower on theMini Mental State Exam (MMSE; Folstein et al., 1975). Such a score would be indicative of possible cognitive impairment. * Staff members will be excluded if they work third shift only. PWD Residents with dementia must be diagnosed with dementia (any type), score 10 or above on the MMSE, be aged 65+, and speak/read conversational English. * PWD will be excluded if they show signs of rapid physical or cognitive decline (based upon staff report or as evidenced by information gained during screening).

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

Alzheimer disease dementia vascular dementia

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Alzheimer disease Dementia Vascular dementia

How to take part

Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.

  1. The places running it

    2 sites. The list below names each one and where it is.

  2. The official record

    ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.

    Open the record ↗

  3. A doctor treating you

    A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Hopeful Aging

    RECRUITING

    Winchester, Massachusetts, 01890, United States

  • The Hearthstone Institute, LLC

    RECRUITING

    Winchester, Massachusetts, 01890, United States

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