Person attuned musical interaction (PAMI) in dementia care

The research group has developed a training manual and teaching resources to be used by music therapists to train and support carers to integrate PAMI in daily care practices.

Person attuned musical interaction (PAMI) in dementia care

The research group has developed a training manual and teaching resources to be used by music therapists to train and support carers to integrate PAMI in daily care practices.

Despite the progression of dementia, a person’s need to relate to and interact with other human beings remains and is still essential. Not meeting a person's psychosocial needs may cause behavioural and psychological symptoms and further result in prescriptions of pharmacological treatment. According to a person-centred understanding of dementia, it is possible to decrease behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) and reduce the prescription of pharmacological medication when psychosocial needs are met. This happens according to Tom Kitwood through positive interactions, and it therefore becomes the carer’s task to facilitate and engage in mutual, reciprocal communication with the person with dementia in a way that gives meaning and context, and where the person feels acknowledged.

In order to expand knowledge on caregiving, the PAMI study has explored and mapped gestures, expression and non-verbal signals that take place in mutual communication between persons with severe dementia and their professional carers in nursing home contexts. The group has focussed on the role of communicative musicality in reciprocal contact and define this as Person Attuned Musical Interaction, PAMI. Music therapists are trained in using musical interactions and be explicit about communicative musical components such as tempo, volume, and pitch. Music therapy sessions are based on PAMI, and such interactions are also important in activities and daily care. Therefore, the research group aimed to identify the core components for attuned and reciprocal musical interactions based on a person-centred approach. By including perspectives on transformative learning, skills sharing and indirect music therapy practice, the research group has developed a training manual and comprehensive teaching resources to be used by music therapists when they train and support carers to integrate PAMI in daily care practices.

PAMI Researchers

Publications Related to PAMI

(in English and Danish language / på dansk og engelsk)

Anderson-Ingstrup, J. (2020). A Flexible Fit. Developing a Suitable Manual Framework for Person Attuned Musical Interaction in Dementia Care Through a Realist Approach. PhD thesis, Department of Communication and Psychology, Aalborg University.

Anderson-Ingstrup, J., & Ridder, H. M. O. (2020). A scoping review and template analysis of manual-based complex interventions in dementia care. Clinical Interventions in Aging, 15, 363-371. https://doi.org/10.2147/CIA.S237924

Holck, U. (2020). Personafstemt sang i demensomsorgen: Mikroanalyser af kommunikativ musikalitet. Tidsskriftet Dansk Musikterapi, 17(2), 35-46.

Krøier, J. (2022). Exploring Person-Attuned Musical interaction in Dementia Care. A flexible research design. PhD thesis, Department of Communication and Psychology, Aalborg University.

Krøier, J. K., Bonde, L. O., & Anderson-Ingstrup, J. (2019). De første skridt: Indledende undersøgelse af forskelle og ligheder mellem musikterapi og musikpædagogik i demensomsorgen. Tidszkriftet Dansk Musikterapi, 16(1), 3–13.

Krøier, J.K., Jefsen, A. (2016). Erfaringer med dokumentation af musikterapeutisk praksis i kommunal demensomsorg. Tidsskriftet Dansk Musikterapi, 13(2), 22-27.

Krøier, J. & Ridder, H. M O. (e-publication before print) “When the music is on, she is there”. Professional caregivers’ application and understanding of musical interactions in a care home environment. Approaches - An Interdisciplinary Journal of Music Therapy.

Krøier, J. K., Ridder, H. M. O., & McDermott, O. (2022). Conceptualizing attunement in dementia care. A Meta ethnographic review. Arts & Health, 14(1), 32–48.
https://doi.org/10.1080/17533015.2020.1827276

Krøier, J. K., Stige, B., & Ridder, H. M. O. (2021). Non-Verbal Interactions Between Music Therapists and Persons with Dementia. A Qualitative Phenomenological and Arts-Based Inquiry. Music Therapy Perspectives, 39(2), 162–171.
https://doi.org/10.1093/mtp/miab008

McDermott, O., Ridder, H. M. O., Baker, F., Wosch, T., Ray, K., & Stige, B. (2018). Indirect Music Therapy Practice and Skill-sharing in Dementia Care: Feature article. Journal of Music Therapy, 55(3), 255–279, https://doi.org/10.1093/jmt/thy012

Ottesen, A. M. & Krøier, J. K. (2018). Tavs viden om brugen af sang og musik – hvordan fremmes omsorgsgiveres refleksion gennem indirekte musikterapeutisk praksis. Tidskriftet Dansk Musikterapi. 15(2), 4-13.

Ridder, H. M. O. (2016). Musikterapi og personafstemt interaktion i demensomsorgen: Nyt forskningsprojekt. Dansk Musikterapi, 13(1), 38-40. http://vbn.aau.dk/files/238032756/2016F_Musikterapi_og_personafstemt.pdf   

Ridder, H. M. O. (2016). Musikaktiviteter ledet af omsorgsgivere. I B. Stige, & H. M. O. Ridder (red.), Musikkterapi og eldrehelse. (s. 67-108). Universitetsforlaget.

Ridder, H. M. O. (2016). Partners in Care: A Psychosocial Approach to Music Therapy and Dementia. I S. L. Jacobsen, & G. Thompson (red.), Music therapy with families: Therapeutic approaches and theoretical perspectives. (s. 269-289). Jessica Kingsley Publishers.

Ridder, H. M. O. (2017). Selvregulering og dyadisk regulering i musikterapi med demensramte. I C. Lindvang & B. D. Beck (red.), Musik, krop og følelser. Kapitel 10, s. 197-210. København: Frydenlund academic.

Ridder, H. M. O. (2017). The role of caregivers and music therapists for well-being in persons with dementia. Music Therapy Today: WFMT online journal, 13(1), 134-135.
https://issuu.com/presidentwfmt/docs/mtt_13_1__7-2017

Ridder, H. M. O. (2019). Music therapy for people with dementia. I S. L. Jacobsen, I. N. Pedersen, & L. O. Bonde (red.), A comprehensive guide to music therapy (s. 300-316). Jessica Kingsley Publishers.

Ridder, H. M. O. (in press). Musikterapi. En sansefilosofisk forståelse af stemthed og resonans. I H. Winther, S. Køppe, & J. Toft (red.), Kunst, krop og terapi. Hans Reitzels Forlag.

Ridder, H. M. O., & Bøtker, J. Ø. (2019). Music therapy and skill sharing to meet psychosocial needs for persons with advanced dementia. I A. Baird, S. Garrido, & J. Tamplin (red.), Music and dementia (s. 225-241). Oxford University Press.

Ridder, H. M. O., & Krøier, J. K. (2022). Stemning. Musikalsk interaktion i demensomsorgen. Gyldendal.

Ridder, H. M. O., & Krøier, J. K. (2022). Kursusbeskrivelse. Musikalsk interaktion i demensomsorgen: Information til ledelse og kursusansvarlige. Tilgængelig på www.pami.aau.dk

Ridder, H. M. O., Krøier, J. K., Anderson-Ingstrup, J., & McDermott, O. (2022). Musikalsk interaktion i demensomsorgen. Deltagerhæfte.

Ridder, H. M. O., Krøier, J. K., Anderson-Ingstrup, J., & McDermott, O. (2022). Musikalsk interaktion i demensomsorgen. Undervisningsmanual til musikterapeuter. Baggrund og praktiske øvelser. Institut for Kommunikation og Psykologi, Aalborg Universitet.

Ridder, H. M. O., Madsen, M. B., Anderson-Ingstrup, J., & McDermott, O. (2016). The use of music therapy components to promote interaction between a person with dementia and a caregiver. Nordic Journal of Music Therapy, 25(Supplement 1), 62.

Ridder, H. M. O., Madsen, M. B., Anderson-Ingstrup, J., & McDermott, O. (2017). The development of person attuned musical interaction (PAMI) for people with dementia, 13(1), 136-137. https://issuu.com/presidentwfmt/docs/mtt_13_1__7-2017

Stedje, K., & Anderson-Ingstrup, J. (2016). Sykehjemmets lydmiljø: Stillhet, støy og musikklytting. In Musikkterapi og eldrehelse (pp. 221-233). Universitetsforlaget.

Waters, B. (2021). Person Attuned Musical Interactions (PAMI) in Dementia Manual UK version. Progress Report.