Music therapy for Alzheimer's disease

Music therapy (MT) has been used as a treatment for Alzheimer's disease (AD), but its use remains mostly uninvestigated.[1] Results of studies investigating its effectiveness are promising, but further research is needed because these studies are of poor methodological quality.[2] Further research is needed to determine the mechanisms by which it may work, and to "delineate the most effective techniques".[3]

In a 2010 study, which took place in Italy, 60 patients in five different nursing homes were observed for changes in behaviors; after six months of music therapy, there was a noticeable reduction in disruptive behaviors, especially agitation and anxiety (by nearly 50% or greater) and an increase in appetite.[4] While current research continues to show positive effects music therapy has on behaviors and memory, further research is encouraged to measure the effects on "quality of life", but it is suggested as a sufficient intervention for behavioral management. [5]

Music and Memory Program

Dan Cohen, Executive Director of the Music and Memory Program, helped to increase awareness and efficacy of music therapy in relation to Alzheimer's and other related dementias with the release of the 2014 film, Alive Inside: A Story of Music and Memory.[6] The Music and Memory Program helps to provide interested nursing homes in the United States with iPods to help utilize the power of music to decrease behaviors and stimulate memory.[6]

References

  1. ↑ Wollen KA (September 2010). "Alzheimer's disease: the pros and cons of pharmaceutical, nutritional, botanical, and stimulatory therapies, with a discussion of treatment strategies from the perspective of patients and practitioners". Altern Med Rev. 15 (3): 223–44. PMID 21155625.
  2. ↑ Blackburn R, Bradshaw T (October 2014). "Music therapy for service users with dementia: a critical review of the literature". Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing. 21 (10): 879–88. doi:10.1111/jpm.12165. PMID 25303405.
  3. ↑ Koger SM, Chapin K, Brotons M (1999). "Is Music Therapy an Effective Intervention for Dementia?A Meta-Analytic Review of Literature". J Music Ther. 36 (1): 2–15. doi:10.1093/jmt/36.1.2. PMID 10519841.
  4. ↑ A. Raglio, et all (November 2010). "Efficacy of music therapy treatment based on cycles of sessions: A randomised controlled trial". Aging & Mental Health. 14, No. 8: 900–904.
  5. ↑ Ledger, Alison J.; Baker, Felicity A. (May 2007). "An investigation of long-term effects of group music therapy on agitation levels of people with Alzheimer's Disease". Aging and Mental Health. 11 (3): 330–338.
  6. 1 2 "Our Mission and Vision - Music and Memory". Music and Memory. Retrieved 2016-10-20.
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