Research:
Current Research Projects

Projects

1. “A Qualitative description study on the use and experience of family members’ videos taken in music therapy in Palliative Care”
   Co-Investigators: Amy Clements-Cortés, Jean Zigby
   
   Our research objective is to explore and report on findings related to spontaneous videos taken by caregivers in music therapy in palliative care. We would like to know the relationship of the person taking the videos of the patient, why these family members are inspired to take the videos, what they are doing with the videos after the death of their loved one, what ways these videos might be affecting caregiver bereavement, the way music therapists in palliative care conduct music therapy sessions and the nature of the videos being studied. The specific end goal of the research is to deepen our understanding of the nature of these videos and to gather narrative data which could lead to summarizing the nature and purpose of these videos for the family members and potential impacts on their bereavement and to report how music therapists working in the palliative care setting navigate this phenomenon in clinical practice.
   
   Research Question: How are spontaneous videos taken by caregivers during music therapy in palliative care used and experienced by the bereaved and within the music therapy profession specific to palliative care?


2. “Music and Medicine Program”
   Grant Administrator, Data Analyst, Clinical Supervisor
   
   The current grant provides funding for clinical music therapy to Amy Clements-Cortés palliative care patients one time per week.

Related Funding:
$174, 400 (2012-Present) Transition to Betterness

Projects

1. “Effect of Vibrotactile and Music Stimulation on Dementia”
   Co-Investigators: Amy Clements-Cortés, Lee Bartel
   
   We hypothesize that 40 Hz sound-based vibrotactile stimulation will activate several previously demonstrated mechanisms: (1) reset and enhance gamma oscillation, (2) activate microglia thereby reducing amyloid beta and, consequently, cognition in people with Alzheimer’s. Further, we plan to compare vibrotactile stimulation (RSS) alone with RSS coupled with listening to favourite music and reminiscence.
   
   Research Site: TBD


2. “Group Singing to Support Social Wellbeing and Communication in Adults with Communication Disorders: A Knowledge Generation and Mobilization Partnership” Collaborator: Amy Clements-Cortés
   Principle Investiagator: Frank Russo
   Member of the Executive SingWell Committee.
   
   The current project considers group singing as a meaningful and supportive cognitive and social activity for people living with Communication disorders (CD). While other effective interventions already exist for supporting communication deficits in CD, they are highly medicalized, and generally not effective for combatting social wellbeing issues related to CD. Group singing for CD appears to be worthy of further consideration from scientific, practical, economic, and ethical standpoints.


3. “SingWell in Long Term Care” Collaborator: Amy Clements-Cortés Principles Investigators: Arla Good, Frank Russo Member of the Executive SingWell Committee.
   
   We propose a pilot study to assess potential outcomes of a group singing program in a long-term care home. We will focus on primary psychosocial benefits of group singing for residents living with dementia and secondary benefits for LTC team members, including potential improvements to their own mental health and well-being, and reductions in team member stress and burnout.


4. “Effect of Community Choir Singing in People with Chronic Post-Stroke Aphasia: A Protocol for a Multicenter Single-Blind Randomised Pragmatic Trial”
   Collaborator- (Principle Investigator: Anna Zumbansen)
   Member of the Executive SingWell Committee.
   
   The objective of the current project, is to test the effects of assigning people with chronic post-stroke aphasia, including those with an associated speech disorder, to 12 weekly choir sessions, compared to usual care.


5. Dalcroze: Music and Movement Collaborator: Collaborator: Amy Clements-Cortés
   Principle Investigator: Gilles Comeau
   
   The overall goal of this intersectoral and interdisciplinary project is to implement and evaluate community-based music interventions that could enhance well-being and improve quality of life for older adults. This approach has been used successfully with heterogeneous groups of people, and the flexibility of this approach is appropriate for groups of older adults in good health or with various health conditions.

Related Funding (SingWell Projects):
Stage 1 funding, 2020-2021, was $19 865; Stage 2 funding, 2021-2028 is $ 2,497,887 per the Social Science & Humanities Research Council Partnership Development Grant: Reference Number: 895-2021-1018

Projects

1. “Utility and Viability of the Music Therapy Assessment for Older Adults (MTAOA)” 
   Principle Investigator: Amy Clements-Cortés    
   Co-Investigator: Bill Ahessey
   Collaborator: Samuel Gracida

The purpose is to evaluate and create a revised version of a Music Therapy Assessment for Older Adults: (MTAOA-R1). The MTAOA-R1 is a comprehensive domain-based music therapy assessment tool that is utilized with older adults in Canada and the United States. We aim to revise the MTAOA-R2 and to then test the utility and viability of the MTAOA-R2 in contexts outside of Canada and the United States.        
 

Projects

1. “Music Therapists’ Global Perspectives on Telehealth Music Therapy: A Qualitative Interview Inquiry”
   Co-Investigators: Amy Clements-Cortés & Marija Pranjic
   Collaborators: Melissa Brotons, Allison Fuller, Lisa Kelly, David Knott, Indra Selvarajah, Barbara Sgobbi, & Rebecca Vaudeuil

Telehealth music therapy (TMT) grew exponentially during the pandemic and has continued to be integrated in music therapy praxis. This interview study, which is a follow up to the international study of 572 music therapists, reports the perceptions and experiences of 20 music therapists from 10 countries across 5 global regions. Five themes arose from the qualitative analysis including:

1. accessibility of TMT;

2. suitability of TMT;

3. safety within TMT;

4. technology within TMT; and

5. advancing the practice of TMT.

2. "International Education and Training Practices in Music Therapy Curriculum and Clinical Placements"
   Principle Investigator: Amy Clements-Cortés
   Collaborators: Melissa Brotons, Lisa Kelly, Hillary Moss, Marija Pranjic, Eugenia Ruiz-Hernandez & Indra Selvarajah