| Title: | ENCORE – A Dyadic Group Singing Program for Persons with Early Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias and Their Care Partners |
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| Dates: | 7/1/2026 - 6/30/2027 |
| Sponsor: | University of Rochester Aging Institute |
| Role: | Maria Quiñones-Cordero, PhD : MPI |
| Principal Investigator: | Lin, R. & Quinones, M. |
| Description: | Aim 1: Refine the ENCORE intervention and establish feasibility and acceptability among early ADRD dyads (NIH Stage Ia/Ib). 1a. Refine intervention, complete program materials, and identify delivery procedures with input from community and clinical partners, music therapists, and prior ENCORE participants. 1b. Collaborate with the University of Rochester Resilience Research Center (UR3C) community engagement hub to develop and test recruitment and retention strategies to engage racially and ethnically diverse older adults with early ADRD (e.g., Black/African American, Latino/Hispanic). 1c. Explore design feasibility (e.g. recruitment, retention) and program acceptability (e.g., engagement, benefits) among 10 early-stage ADRD dyads. Aim 2: Explore ‘uplift’ in group singing as a modifiable mechanism of behavioral change underlying improvements in dyadic outcomes (BPSD, CG distress). We will use a mixed-methods approach integrating self-report measures, ecological momentary assessment, and thematic analysis of qualitative interviews, to characterize when and how group singing elicits uplift. We will explore associations between markers of uplift (e.g., positive emotions) and clinical outcomes (BPSD, CG distress). |