Personalized Music Treatment for Alzheimer's Disease Being Developed

One of the greatest fears many people have as they get older is the loss of their memory. Your mind is what makes you - you. Once you lose memories of your life and fail to recognize your loved ones, you are no longer yourself in the same sense you were before memory loss.

Alzheimer's and other dementias are costly from a financial standpoint as well. The cost of long-term health care services, either at home or in an assisted living facility, memory care facility, or a nursing home, is skyrocketing. 

The LTC NEWS Cost of Care Calculator shows the national median average for a nursing home is over $100,000 a year. Less costly but still expensive assisted living and in-home care providers are also rising sharply, and dementia care is even more costly. 

No Dementia Cure – Limited Available Treatment

There is no cure, and treatment is limited. However, a Canadian company, LUCID Partners, has teamed up with JT, a Japanese company, to partner in developing a prescription digital therapeutic for Alzheimer's disease.

Alzheimer's is more than just memory loss – neuropsychiatric symptoms can include anxiety, aggression, and personality changes. These symptoms aren't just heartbreaking; they're promoting the burnout of caregivers. Many caregivers are family members juggling career and family responsibilities while caring for a parent. Even professional caregivers can feel stress and anxiety providing care for their care recipients. Treatment is more necessary than ever.

Engaging with music, both passively and actively, is promising in helping dementia patients and caregivers manage symptoms and improve the overall quality of life.

People living with Alzheimer's deserve dignity in this stage of their life. They deserve a treatment that is both effective and can enhance quality of life for them and their caregivers.

Zach McMahon, CEO and co-founder of LUCID 

Reducing Anxiety in Caregivers and Care Recipients

Earlier this year, LUCID's first randomized controlled clinical trial revealed clinical evidence in reducing acute anxiety in adults with moderate anxiety. With the support of JT, LUCID will translate their data-driven clinical insights into the development of a digital therapeutic to reduce agitation and anxiety in dementia care, initially with Alzheimer's. 

Music interventions can ease these psychiatric symptoms and spark joy," McMahon said. "We're committed to delivering new care paradigms in an evidence-based way.

Zach McMahon

Finding the Benefits of Personalized Music Therapy

With funding from JT, LUCID will conduct research and develop the digital therapeutic known as LUC-101. Sheridan College's Centre for Elder Research is also involved with LUC-101 development through a Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) initiative to support gerontological research and design.

Can the power of music be used around the globe to help those with dementia and their families? Research may show the benefits of personalized music therapy for those with Alzheimer's. 

LUCID notes that neuroscientists have observed that music can improve mood, behavior, and cognitive function. Music is known to stimulate autobiographical memory, which may have a role in promoting "neural scaffolding" and thus preventing cognitive decline. 

Music can also increase the heart rate and hormone levels in dementia patients. Researchers have proposed that music affects steroid hormone levels, which in turn may promote neurogenesis, regeneration, and the repair of neurons. Music affects cortisol, testosterone, and estrogen levels and may contribute to a preventative effect on Alzheimer's Disease. 

Long-Term Care – Including Dementia Supervision – Hard on Families and Finances

The physical, emotional, and financial burdens placed on families worldwide due to long-term health care continue to increase as the world gets older. Dementia is one of the leading reasons people require help with daily living activities or supervision from memory loss. 

Many families find themselves in crisis as they are not prepared. With dementia, there is little treatment and no cure. Costly care drains savings, and adult children and their families face the realities of caring for a parent and their family at the same time.

In the United States and other countries, the government provides limited benefits for long-term health care. For example, in the United States, Medicaid will pay for long-term care services, including supervision, but only if the care recipient has little or no income and assets. Traditional health insurance and Medicare pay little to nothing toward this type of care.

According to a 2014 report from the Canadian Institute for Health Information, about 73% of long-term care costs are covered in Canada by provincial, territorial, and municipal plans and agencies, whereas 23% of costs are covered by residents either out-of-pocket or through supplementary private insurance like Long-Term Care Insurance.

In Australia, long-term health care coverage is means-tested. Before individuals can access government-funded long-term health care services, they must apply for an assessment. This assessment will determine eligibility.

In the United Kingdom, the National Health Service provides some long-term health care. However, a large part of care is financed with public and private funds or provided by family caregivers. 

Being prepared by having a plan before you retire and experience a decline in your health is vital to having quality care, easing family stress, and protecting savings.

LTC Insurance Offers Guaranteed Tax-Free Benefits

Many people in the United States get Long-Term Care Insurance in their 50s. Premiums can be affordable, but premiums vary over 100% between insurance companies. Experts recommend seeking the advice of an experienced Long-Term Care Insurance specialist to help you find affordable coverage. 

There are several types of policies that are available in the United States. You might have questions about long-term health care planning and LTC NEWS has the answers to many of the most asked questions here - Frequently Asked Questions | LTC News.