Jenna G. TraubPage 1
Music Therapy Affecting Alzheimer’s Patients
Objective:
To study, research and come to a conclusion on how well music therapy will affect cognitive, agitation, stress and anxiety in a patient who suffers from Alzheimer’s, and to determine whether group music therapy or single music therapy is better for someone dealing with Alzheimer’s.
Key Words:
Music therapy, Alzheimer’s Disease, Agitation, Cognitive Skills.
Introduction:
Alzheimer’s is a disease in which the brain gradually loses high brain function and is irreversible. Alzheimer’s affects; memory, language skills, and perception of time and space. Eventually, in late stages of Alzheimer’s the patient is unable to care for oneself. Alzheimer’s affects as many as 4 million to 6 million people alone in the United States. This disease is found mainly in individuals above the age of 65, but in about 2 percent of Alzheimer’s cases, the patient can be in their 30’s to 50’s, this is known as “Early-onset Alzheimer’s. The disease evolves slowly in the individual, it can start with difficulty remembering names, telephone numbers, and details of conversations from the day. In the beginning stages of Alzheimer’s people can often remember remote past events and sometimes very recent information. In the later stages, anxiety, depression, agitation, slow movement, and hallucinations are common in the patient. In the final stages, people become unable to care for themselves and must rely on someone for all their basic needs.
Music Therapy is a neuro protective-repeated use of the brain areas associated with music processing either delays-degeneration or slow the progression of the disease.
Music therapy became well known after World War 1, when groups would go to veteran hospitals to play for many suffering from emotional and physical traumas. Their noticeable physical and emotional response to music led the doctors and nurses to request it often for patients.
Music therapy in Alzheimer’s patients has led to the patients feeling emotionally better. The music has decreased anxiety, agitation, and depression. In some cases, music therapy has helped to improve cognitive skills and to recall events from their life before being diagnosed. Music therapy is now a clinical and evidence based use of music interventions to promote wellness, stress, pain, enhance memory, and improve communication skills. The music interventions are put on by a credentialed professional who has completed an approved music therapy program. Music therapy sessions can last 20-60 minutes and are usually performed 2-4 times a week, in either a group or just by the patient themselves with headphones.
Treatment plans with goals and objectives are developed for each client to fit them specifically, depending on their strengths and weaknesses. Instrumental and vocal music strategies can be used along with music listening opportunities.
Relevant Application:
Music therapy as a treatment to Alzheimer’s patients is a scientific proven therapy that provides support to patients and works through emotional and psycho-physiological pathways. The techniques used target therapeutic objectives. Psychosocial interventions, such as music therapy, contribute to maintain functional cognitive and sensory abilities as well as emotional and social skills. Many drug therapies exist for Alzheimer’s patients, along with special homes and care takers, but with music therapy, the patient can avoid these pathways.
Experimental Design:
Literature Search:All articles and research used was obtained through google scholars and ESBCOHost. Systematic search strategies used in the research process were: Alzheimer’s stages, Music therapy, Music therapy affecting Alzheimer’s patients, Agitation and Music Therapy, Music interventions and Alzheimer’s disease.
Study Selection: All articles and research acquired were originally screened from the title, introduction, and abstract. Those that did not pass the certain requirements were excluded. Other studies were then thoroughly examined and researched, randomized controlled trials were examined thoroughly and were the main source of information for this meta-analysis.
Results and Interpretation:
Selection of studies: 20 studies were originally obtained for this meta-analysis. Of those 20, 8 were discarded because they did not meet the criteria, leaving 12 studies. 4 studied were examined but didn’t include the information needed for this meta analysis. 8 studies were thoroughly examined and used for this meta-analysis.
Affecting memory and cognitive skills:Studies showed that music therapy did not necessarily bring back ones memories or improve cognitive skills. Professional music therapists suggest a patients family to make a playlist of music that the patient may have personal experiences with. Some studies have shown people remembering certain experiences they had because a song was related to it, but this was rare and therefore cannot be said to be a continuing result from music therapy.
Affecting agitation, stress and anxiety:In all the medical trials, the patients agitation, stress and anxiety levels went down dramatically. Except after roughly 4 weeks, the patients levels went back up slightly, demonstrating how music therapy is helpful but the effects don’t last long. Music therapy mainly targets agitation and in all randomized controlled trials patients disruptive behaviour went down significantly.
Group Music Therapy: Group Music therapy was used in all experiments and music interventions. Some groups used instruments, patients could play along with music to. Group music therapy lead to patients feeling content and less agitated, and brought down their anxiety and depression levels because they were able to talk to the other patients and people about anything they needed to.
Individual Music Interventions:This type of therapy was mentioned in online Alzheimer’s information websites. Individual Music interventions are either made by family and friends of songs from one’s childhood or life before Alzheimer’s. The songs chosen would sometimes remind patients of specific memories they have experienced, or would relax the patient. Patients using this method would often do it routinely as to look forward to something in their day. This method can be performed at home or in care homes.
In the documentary “Alive Inside” this method has kept people with Alzheimer’s out of care homes and in their own homes with their family. This is obviously preferred to the patient and the family instead of putting someone in a home.
Early Stages of Alzheimer’s:For people suffering from early on-set Alzheimer’s, music therapy can help maintain cognitive levels and enhance overall brain function. In early stages of Alzheimer’s the patients we’re encouraged to move along to the music and had background music playing to enhance their mood.
Late Stages of Alzheimer’s:For people suffering with late stages of Alzheimer’s, music therapy has significantly showed mainly reduced disruptive behaviours a long with anxiety and depressed moods. Patients with late stages of Alzheimer’s listen to soothing music providing them comfort, and are encouraged to sing along to tunes written in their generation.
Conclusion/ Discussion:
Because of all the articles and the ones closely examined and the results of the different patients, music therapy has been proven to be helpful for all those affected with Alzheimer’s, positive affects were shown in all trials and experiments studied. Mainly, levels of agitation were successfully lowered along with anxiety, depression, and stress. Although cognitive skills and memory were improved in some patients during controlled trials, the results did not prove this to be a direct cause of Music Therapy.
Future Applications: Because of this information, group music therapy is suggested two to three times a week. Patients can interact with others, play instruments, hum, sing, and move along to the music. Suggested time frames range from 30 to 60 minutes based on music therapy sessions already occurring. Post music therapy has showed the the immediate results of the sessions did not last, because of this examination, it is suggested that the patient continue with their sessions. This will lead to the patients agitation levels to stay low along with stress and anxiety. Finally, for patients dealing with early onset alzheimer’s, it is suggested the close family and friends create a playlist of songs the patient can relate to their childhood, this can lead to some patients remembering memories and improve their cognitive skills.
sometimes remember a certain memory because of the song and memory connection.
Data-Analysis: In scientific controlled experiments, when patients were being compared to a control group, the results showed that music therapy lowered agitation significantly compared to the controlled group doing nothing. Cognitive skills were improved in some patients but in the control group the levels fluctuated making it hard to compare and decipher, However, all levels of agitation, or stress, violence, anxiety, and anger went down and the patient felt much more content and peaceful.
Music therapy showed a moderate to high effect on improving disruptive behaviour, a moderate effect on reducing anxiety levels and depressive moods, and a small effect on improving cognitive functioning. Disruptive behaviour was among the most frequently studied outcomes and the most improved in patients through the use of music therapy.
Timeline of Project
From April 2017 - June 2017. A three month project
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