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Theorell, T., Engström,G., Hallinder, H., Lennartsson, A.K., Kowalski, J. and Emami, A. (2021) The Use of Saliva Steroids (Cortisol and DHEA-s) as Biomarkers of Changing Stress Levels in People with Dementia and Their Caregivers: A Pilot Study. Science Progress, 104, No. 2.
https://doi.org/10.1177/00368504211019856

has been cited by the following article:

• TITLE: How Music Intervention Lowered Participants’ Morning Cortisol—Qualitative Case Stories

  AUTHORS: Töres Theorell, Gabriella Engstrom, Azita Emami

  KEYWORDS: Dementia, Family Caregivers, Music, Stress, Saliva Morning Cortisol

  JOURNAL NAME: Case Reports in Clinical Medicine, Vol.13 No.6, June 12, 2024

  ABSTRACT: Non-pharmacological interventions for improved home care of persons with dementia and their family caregiver are and will be increasingly important for society. A music intervention study was performed on persons with persons with dementia and family caregiver. The persons with dementia and family caregiver were instructed to choose a daily routine for joint listening to recorded music. They selected the music they were interested in from a menu. The intervention period lasted for two months. Both persons with dementia and family caregiver provided daily saliva samples for the assessment of stress-related steroid hormones. In previous reports we have reported that the morning cortisol levels decreased significantly among the family caregiver when the intervention group was compared to a control group. In the present study we report narratives from four dyads, two of whom with beneficial effects of the music intervention, one dyad with no clear beneficial effects and one dyad with mixed results. The narratives illustrate the strong cohesive effect that the joint music listening could have, leading to improved social functioning paralleled by decreased morning cortisol levels particularly in the family caregiver. The narratives also illustrate reasons for failed effects.