# Impact of Improvisation Music Therapy for Persons Living with Dementia and their Care Partners

> **NIH AG K01** · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO · 2026 · $131,568

## Abstract

Abstract
Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (AD/ADRD) affect more than 6 million adults over 65, with family
members providing most of the care for persons living with dementia (PLWD). During AD progression,
behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD), like agitation, anxiety, and depression, are
common. This can lead to stress and depression among care partners. Thus, interventions must be developed
to aid both members of the PLWD-care partner dyad. Music-based interventions are effective, non-
pharmacological treatments that reduce BPSD in PLWD and care partner stress. However, most existing
music-based interventions target only the PLWD or the care partner, but not both dyad members
simultaneously. Improvisation music therapy is a type of music therapy that uses creative and meaningful
musical exchanges to move patients toward emotionally desirable states. Improvisation music therapy
promotes rapid and novel idea generation, emotional awareness, and execution of unplanned motor
sequences. For these reasons, improvisation music therapy may be able to reduce stress through emotion
regulation in PLWD-care partner dyads. The candidate’s long-term goal is to become an independent
investigator who examines mechanisms by which music-based interventions improve health and well-being
among PLWD and their care partners. For this career development award, the candidate’s short-term goal is
to investigate the impact of an improvisation MT intervention prototype on behavior change (BPSD reduction in
the PLWD, increased well-being and decreased burden in the caregiver) through stress reduction. The
proposed research project aims to 1) standardize an improvisation music therapy intervention prototype for the
PLWD-care partner dyad, 2) evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of this intervention, and 3) complete a
pilot study to examine whether stress reduction and emotional regulation are potential mechanisms for positive
behavior change. This K01 project

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 11375092
- **Project number:** 5K01AG088475-02
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO
- **Principal Investigator:** Karen Chan Barrett
- **Activity code:** K01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** AG
- **Fiscal year:** 2026
- **Award amount:** $131,568
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2025-07-15T00:00:00 → 2030-03-31T00:00:00

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/11375092

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 11375092, Impact of Improvisation Music Therapy for Persons Living with Dementia and their Care Partners (5K01AG088475-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-07-02 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/11375092. Licensed CC0.

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