Music, Social Attention, and Dementia

For people ages 55-89

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