⚡ Quick Summary
A collaboration between British health tech company MediMusic and Anglia Ruskin University has received funding of £183,682 to study the impact of AI-driven music therapy on anxiety in dementia patients from South Asian communities.
💡 Project Overview
- Duration: The three-month project is set to begin in Q2 of 2025.
- Focus: The study will explore the use of a machine learning-based music recommendation app to assist Indian and Pakistani care home residents with dementia and their caregivers.
- Funding Source: The initiative is funded by Innovate UK.
🎶 MediMusic’s Technology
- MediMusic has developed a technology that creates personalized music playlists aimed at reducing pain, anxiety, and stress.
- The playlists are tailored based on the patient’s age, gender, nationality, and ethnicity, utilizing a unique “fingerprint” of the music.
- Patients can listen to these playlists through a streaming device called MediBeat or other devices like smartphones.
📉 Initial Findings
- Previous clinical trials at Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust indicated a reduction in heart rate by up to 25% in dementia patients using MediMusic.
👩⚕️ Research Significance
- Dr. Ming Hung Hsu from Anglia Ruskin University emphasized the novelty of this research, as it specifically targets South Asian care home residents.
- The study will begin with interviews to understand the role of South Asian music in daily life before moving to a controlled pilot study.
🤝 Partnerships and Future Plans
- In 2023, Warner Music Group partnered with MediMusic to facilitate trials of music as medication in care homes and hospitals across the UK and US.
- MediMusic has also secured agreements with Universal Music Group and Sony Music Entertainment for access to extensive music catalogs.