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Completed

NCT Number: NCT06880237

Sing Out Loud: A Choral Singing Program for Persons Living With Dementia

This study intends to investigate whether a singing programme for nursing home residents living with dementia can reduce the mental and physiological effects of dementia. The main questions it aims to answer are:

1. Does participating in the Sing Out Loud (SOL) singing intervention lead to an improvement in the physiological well-being (increase in oxytocin and reduction in cortisol levels) of persons living with dementia (PWDs) in nursing homes? 2. Will participation in the SOL singing intervention result in an improvement in PWDs' overall mood, temperament, and mental health (indicated by symptoms such as apathy, aggression, and depression).

Researchers will compare the singing group to the control group to see if they exhibit reduced levels of apathy, aggression, and depression, and whether their levels of oxytocin and cortisol (collected via salivary biomarkers) have increased and decreased, respectively.

Researchers will compare the SOL singing intervention with a waitlist control group to see if the SOL singing intervention increases the feelings of social connection, reduces stress, or improves the symptoms of dementia in nursing home residents.

Participants will be randomly assigned to a singing intervention or waitlist control group. The intervention involves an 8-week long singing programme with one practice session a week, culminating in an additional full dress rehearsal and private showcase performance for their family members at a concert venue.

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Key information

Conditions

Dementia Brain Diseases Central Nervous System Diseases Mental Disorders Nervous System Diseases Neurocognitive Disorders Nursing Homes Residents

Age range

21 year–90 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

APEX Harmony Lodge

Singapore, 518240

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

for Patients:

  • Aged 59 to 90 years old
  • Diagnosed with dementia
  • Living in the nursing home
  • Interested in participating in the SOL programme
  • Able to provide saliva samples

Exclusion criteria

for Patients:

  • Unable to provide saliva samples

Inclusion criteria

for Psychologists:

  • Aged 21 to 65 years old
  • Is the psychologist of a patient who is participating in the SOL programme
  • Is able to speak English

Exclusion criteria

for the Psychologists:

  • Unable to complete the NPI-Q questionnaire for their patient who is participating in the SOL programme
  • Decline audio recording during the focus group discussion

Treatment and study plan

Singing

Other

The programme consists of one 75-min-long group singing session per week for 8 weeks, followed by a dress rehearsal and a final performance. The final rehearsal session and showcase performance will be held at a concert venue, while the 8 practice sessions will be conducted at the nursing home.

Each session will kick off with a "Hello song", followed by warm-up activities and vocal exercises. Participants will then sing different songs to explore and rehearse as a group, before concluding with a "Goodbye song". All sessions throughout the programme are similarly structured to provide consistency for participants.

Primary outcomes

  1. Changes from baseline in Oxytocin and Cortisol levels at 8 weeks

    Time frame: From the beginning of the intervention (session 1) on week 1, to the final practice session (session 8) on week 8

    Oxytocin and Cortisol levels will be collected via saliva samples. Increases in level of Oxytocin is indicative of increased feelings of social connection, while increased level of Cortisol is indicative of higher levels of stress

  2. Change from baseline in the severity and distress of neuropsychiatric symptoms at 8 weeks

    Time frame: From 2 weeks before session 1, up to the final practice session (session 8)

    Neuropsychiatric symptoms will be collected via the Neuropsychiatric Inventory Questionnaire (NPI-Q), which measures delusions, hallucinations, agitation/aggression, depression/dysphoria, anxiety, elation/euphoria, apathy/indifference, disinhibition, irritability, motor disturbance, nightime behaviours, and appetite. Higher scores indicate increased levels of severity or distress related to the symptom in question.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Qualitative feedback

    Time frame: Within two weeks after the programme has ended

    This will be collected via a focus group discussion with the nursing home's clinical staff (psychosocial team) to collect qualitative data on any observed changes in participants' mood, behaviour, temperament, or relationships between participants and staff. Additionally, the nursing home's psychosocial team will also be asked about process factors (challenges in implementation, structure and delivery of the programme), satisfaction,

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

National University of Singapore

Other

Collaborators

  • APEX Harmony Lodge
  • Esplanade

Registry information

Acronym: SOL

Important dates

Study start
2025
Primary completion
2025
Study completion
2025
First posted
Mar 17, 2025
Registry last updated
Jun 16, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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