Rhythm and connection: music therapy shows promise for dementia patients and caregivers

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

Inclusion (patients) * Male or female ≥ 55 years of age living with bvFTD; or ≥ 70 years of age living with AD. * Documentation of a bvFTD or AD diagnosis as evidenced by one or more known clinical features. * Written informed consent obtained from subject. Inclusion (caregivers) * Male or female ≥ 55 years of age living without diagnosis of neurological or psychiatric disease. * Individual capable of independent execution of activities of daily living, including personal care and hygiene, dressing, eating, use of a toilet, and mobility. * Written informed consent. Exclusion (patients) * Presence of a condition or abnormality that in the opinion of the Investigator would compromise the safety of the patient or the quality of the data. * community-dwelling individuals not living with bvFTD * community-dwelling individuals with normal cognitive functioning * Individuals living with Alzheimer's disease or related dementias (primary progressive aphasia, semantic variant FTD, Lewy body dementia, vascular dementia, Parkinson's disease, or mixed dementia) * Individuals with a score of 2 or higher on the CDR * Individuals with a history of neuropsychiatric illness that would interfere with performance (e.g., transient psych hx of depression okay, hx of schizophrenia will be excluded) or medicated depression to control symptoms. * Individuals with unstable (e.g., cancer other than basal cell skin) or chronic (e.g., severe diabetes) medical conditions * Individuals with MRI contraindications (e.g., pregnancy, claustrophobia, metal implants that are contraindicated for MRI) * Individuals with physical impairment(s) precluding motor response * Individuals with inability to walk two blocks without stopping * Individuals with hearing or vision deficits that will not allow for completion of testing; inability to hear conversation conducted at an average volume (\~60 dB) * Individuals who practice music making or production for at least 30-mins per week * This may include instrumental or vocal, writing or arranging, alone or in groups * Listening to music for more than 30-mins weekly will not exclude the individual from the study Exclusion (Caregivers) * Presence of a condition or abnormality that in the opinion of the Investigator would compromise the safety of the patient or the quality of the data. * Community-dwelling individuals living with diagnosis of a neurological or psychiatric disease o Community-dwelling individuals with abnormal cognitive functioning * Individuals living with dementia * Individuals with a history of neuropsychiatric illness that would interfere with performance (e.g., transient psych hx of depression okay, hx of schizophrenia will be excluded) or medicated depression to control symptoms * Individuals with unstable (e.g., cancer other than basal cell carcinoma) or chronic (e.g., severe diabetes) medical conditions * Individuals with physical impairment(s) precluding motor control * Individuals with inability to walk two blocks without stopping * Individuals with hearing or vision deficits that will not allow for completion of testing; inability to hear conversation conducted at an average volume (\~60 dB) * Individuals who practice music making or production for at least 30-mins per week * This may include instrumental or vocal, writing or arranging, alone or in groups * Listening to music for more than 30-mins weekly will not exclude the individual from the study