Adelfia

Researchers are studying the long-term effects of a non-drug program that includes various activities such as physical exercise, choir singing, learning sessions, and horticulture to help prevent cognitive decline in elderly people living independently who show signs of frailty. The study aims to find out if participating in multiple activities including music can slow down the loss of thinking and hearing abilities, promote positive brain changes, and reduce feelings of loneliness by providing social engagement. This research involves community-dwelling older adults and compares those involved in a music-inclusive program to groups doing activities without music or no activities at all. The intervention lasts for 9 months and includes a multidomain program combining physical, cognitive, social, and musical activities through choir participation. One group participates in this multidomain intervention, while another group engages in general physical, manual, or intellectual activities without music, and a control group remains passive. Participants keep diaries to record the time spent on their activities, helping to monitor adherence. Participants are tested three times: before starting, after completing the 9-month program, and again at a 6-month follow-up. Researchers collect saliva samples to measure Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF), a protein important for brain health and plasticity, as well as conduct audiometric, neuropsychological, and frailty assessments. They also evaluate cognitive functioning, hearing ability, speech understanding in noise, and socio-psychological well-being to see if the intervention benefits brain and overall health in aging individuals.