Using vibrotactile device in music therapy to support wellbeing for people with Alzheimers disease

Music therapy is regarded as a non-pharmacological treatment to improve cognitive, psychological and behavioural alterations in patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD). However, the general hearing loss in AD patients decreases their musical perception and the efficacy of music therapy. This paper presents a wearable vibrotactile prototype, a multisensory system that translates music into vibrotactile stimuli. We conducted an exploratory study with 8 older adults with Alzheimer’s disease to evaluate whether the prototype can improve the therapeutic effects of music therapy. Qualitative and quantitative analysis were utilized to explore different aspects of the prototype, and results showed that combining music therapy and vibrotactile stimuli leads to obvious improvement in cognitive scores. Results also demonstrated the contribution of vibrotactile stimuli in promoting positive emotions and rhythmic behaviors in elderly patients with Alzheimer’s disease, and the fingertips are suitable body parts for wearable vibration devices.