Anglia Ruskin University music therapists aiming to help dementia sufferers with £2.7m project

A £2.7 million project aimed at transforming life for people living alone with dementia, is to be trialled in Cambridgeshire by Anglia Ruskin University music therapists. They will use artificial intelligence to adapt and personalise live radio to try and address the key causes of hospital admission for those suffering from dementia. Radio Me will tackle issues such as agitation and failing to take medication correctly and as a result, it is hoped quality of life will improve with people able to remain living independently at home for longer. Jörg Fachner, professor of music, Health and the brain at ARU, said: "Our role is to investigate precisely how people with dementia can benefit from this interactive radio experience. "Music therapists at ARU and partner organisations will use biomarker responses to fine-tune playlists in order to deliver emotional and cognitive stimulation, and evaluate exactly how interactive music interventions, using AI, can benefit people with dementia in their own homes and in assisted living environments." Professor Eduardo Miranda, from the University of Plymouth, added: "Radio Me builds on research carried out as part of our previous EPSRC-funded project into a brain computer music interface, as well as our work on artificial intelligence, music influencing emotion, and the University's long-running involvement in shaping national policy on dementia.