By Ryan Otteson | Reporter
The Interventions in Dementia (ID) lab is an undergraduate run lab dedicated to testing the improvement of mood disorders and agitation in memory care patients through the use of live and recorded music. According to the Alzheimer’s Society, depression and mood disorders are not uncommon among patients in memory care.
Galveston senior and lead principal investigator of the lab Annie Pinchen described the design of the intervention. The goal is to compare the effects of live and recorded music on memory care patients and their mood behaviors.
“We’re not only improving the quality of life for the patients, but we’re also making things easier for nurses and [certified nursing assistants] who are working with those patients so both parties are benefitting,” Pinchen said.
There are multiple scales that are used to see the levels of agitation in memory care patients, one being the Patient Health Questionnaire, or PHQ-9, and another being the Cohen-Mansfield Agitation Inventory which can break down common behaviors seen in memory care patients and assign them to a mood disorder.
“We get an overall score for every single week they participate in the intervention, and we compare those scores from the very first week to the very last week to see if they’ve decreased,” Pinchen said.
Pinchen is among several students in the lab who are passionate about creating a happier life for those with dementia. She recalled that many of the patients light up and are so happy to be reconnected with songs they might not have heard in a while.
Tampa, Fla. junior Kaleigh Delbridge is also involved in the interventions and research. After graduation, she hopes to go to medical school and continue serving patients in memory care.
“I want to keep working with populations that maybe are underserved or not thought of as much –– just like memory care patients where we don’t necessarily consider them when we’re thinking about healthcare,” Delbridge said.
Student researchers in the lab submit a project proposal during their time working in the intervention and students can apply to be a part of the lab at the beginning of each semester. However, the ID lab also takes musical volunteers and music students to play at the interventions.
“We always are looking for musician volunteers as long as you’re able to play an instrument,” Pinchen said. “You’re welcome to come and look at the songs in our set list and see if they work for you and your skill level.”
