The DRUM project

Investigating how music and percussion may help with movement and concentration problems in those with neurological conditions, using the DRUM app.

About the project

We are recruiting volunteers to help us test a novel movement training application for people with movement disorders. This could be due to Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease, or other neurological conditions, including stroke.

DRUM is based on research suggesting that music and percussion may help with movement and concentration problems, including our own studies, which have also found a strengthening of brain connections.

DRUM involves listening to audio recordings of a musician, Jimi Cantera, who explains how to drum along on two virtual drums on a tablet. This is done first without, and then with, background music. As people progress through the program, these patterns get gradually longer and faster. Participants practise until they reach a level of competency before they can unlock the next level.

Our aims

We aim to collect DRUM data to develop a person-centred artificial intelligence (AI) based DRUM system that will adjust the training to an individual user’s needs. This will allow optimal training conditions for each person, avoiding frustration due to overchallenge or boredom due to underchallenge.

We hope to find out whether people enjoy the DRUM training and find it beneficial.

Funding

This project is funded by a National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) and Health and Care Research Wales (HCRW) Advanced Fellowship to Claudia Metzler-Baddeley (Parkinson’s UK funding pending).

How to access DRUM

To gain access to the app, please email Dr Claudia Metzler-Baddeley directly. There will then be a short consultation to gather information such as age and disease stage.

You can download the DRUM app onto an Android tablet running Android 21 or higher by following the instructions below.

If you do not have an Android tablet but would like to take part, please get in touch with Dr Metzler-Baddeley.

Contact

This project is led by Dr Claudia Metzler-Baddeley, a Cognitive Neuroscientist working at the Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre (CUBRIC) in the School of Psychology, specialising in the development and evaluation of non-drug interventions for people with cognitive and motor problems.