Alzheimer's Disease (AD) and Related Disorders

This study is being done to answer the question: Do people with Parkinson's benefit from a new stepping therapy, and how do people with Parkinson's best learn new steps and rhythms set to music? Researchers will also compare individuals with Parkinson's Disease with people with Mild Cognitive Impairment, and with people with neither of these conditions. The purpose of this study is to identify principles of human-music interactions to establish underlying guiding theories for application to music-based rehabilitation for older populations with neurodegenerative disease, leading to more refined and targeted music-based rhythmic movement therapies.

Animal studies have shown that 40 Hz auditory stimulation alone can improve spatial memory and reduce Aβ deposition. However, human studies using 40 Hz auditory stimulation alone remain limited. Therefore, this study will use a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled design to investigate the effects of 40 Hz auditory stimulation on cognitive function, EEG activity, sleep quality, and quality of life in older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or mild dementia.