BackgroundPrevious research highlights the importance of staff involvement in psychosocial interventions targeting neuropsychiatric symptoms of dementia. Music therapy has shown potential effects, but it is not clear how this intervention can be programmed to involve care staff within the delivery of patients’ care. This study reports initial feasibility and outcomes from a five month music therapy programme including weekly individual active music therapy for people with dementia and weekly post-therapy video presentations for their carers in care homes.Methods17 care home residents and 10 care staff were randomised to the music therapy intervention group or standard care control group. The cluster randomised, controlled trial included baseline, 3-month, 5-month and post-intervention 7-month measures of residents’ symptoms and well-being. Carer-resident interactions were also assessed. Feasibility was based on carers’ feedback through semi-structured interviews, programme evaluations and track records of the study.ResultsThe music therapy programme appeared to be a practicable and acceptable intervention for care home residents and staff in managing dementia symptoms. Recruitment and retention data indicated feasibility but also challenges. Preliminary outcomes indicated differences in symptoms (13.42, 95 % CI: [4.78 to 22.07; p = 0.006]) and in levels of wellbeing (−0.74, 95 % CI: [−1.15 to −0.33; p = 0.003]) between the two groups, indicating that residents receiving music therapy improved. Staff in the intervention group reported enhanced caregiving techniques as a result of the programme.ConclusionThe data supports the value of developing a music therapy programme involving weekly active individual music therapy sessions and music therapist-carer communication. The intervention is feasible with modifications in a more rigorous evaluation of a larger sample size.Trial registrationClinicaltrials.gov, number NCT01744600.

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This article reports a mixed-methods study of Music Therapy (MT) with preterm infants and their parents in a NICU in Colombia. The aim was to find out whether live MT during kangaroo care had an effect on the physiological outcomes of the neonates and would help parents to decrease their anxiety levels and improve parent-infant bonding. The participants were 36 medically stable neonates born between the 28 th and 34 th week of gestation and their parents. The quantitative data collection included heart rate, oxygen saturation, weight gain, length of hospitalization, and re-hospitalization rate. The assessment measures for anxiety and bonding were the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) and the Mother-to-Infant-Bonding Scale (MIBS). Thematic analysis was used to analyse the qualitative data collected with semi-structured interviews and questionnaires. The quantitative results showed statistically significant improvements in maternal stateanxiety (p = .007), and in the babies weight gain per day during the intervention period (p = .036). Positive trends were found regarding the babies' length of hospitalization and rehospitalization rate. Both parents improved their scores with the MIBS, but this was not statistically significant. The qualitative analysis showed that MT was important for parental wellbeing, for bonding and for fostering the development of the neonates. Interacting musically with their babies helped parents to experience feelings of connectedness and to distract themselves from their difficulties and from the noisy hospital environment.

There is strong evidence that whole-grain foods protect against heart disease. Although underlying mechanisms and components are unclear, betaine, found at high levels in wheat aleurone, may play a role. We evaluated the effects of a diet high in wheat aleurone on plasma betaine and related measures. In a parallel, single-blinded intervention study, 79 healthy participants (aged 45-65 y, BMI ≥ 25 kg/m(2)) incorporated either aleurone-rich cereal products (27 g/d aleurone) or control products balanced for fiber and macronutrients into their habitual diets for 4 wk. Fasting blood samples were taken at baseline and postintervention (4 wk) from participants. Compared with the control, the aleurone products provided an additional 279 mg/d betaine and resulted in higher plasma betaine (P < 0.001; intervention effect size: 5.2 μmol/L) and lower plasma total homocysteine (tHcy) (P = 0.010; -0.7 μmol/L). Plasma dimethylglycine and methionine, which are products of betaine-mediated homocysteine remethylation, were also higher (P < 0.001; P = 0.027) relative to control. There were no significant effects on plasma choline or B vitamins (folate, riboflavin, and vitamin B-6). However, LDL cholesterol was lower than in the control group (P = 0.037). We conclude that incorporating aleurone-rich products into the habitual diet for 4 wk significantly increases plasma betaine concentrations and lowers tHcy, which is attributable to enhanced betaine-homocysteine methyltransferase-mediated remethylation of homocysteine. Although this supports a role for betaine in the protective effects of whole grains, concomitant decreases in LDL suggest more than one component or mechanism may be responsible.

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