Virtual Group Music Therapy for Apathy in Parkinson's Disease: A Pilot Study

Journal

Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry and Neurology

Year

2024

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of virtual group music therapy on apathy in people with Parkinson's disease (PD). INTRODUCTION: Apathy affects 40% of people with PD, lacks effective therapies, and independently predicts poorer quality of life and greater caregiver burden. Music therapy is the clinical application of music to address a person's physical or emotional needs and is effective in treating apathy in dementia. METHODS: People with idiopathic PD and apathy (Movement Disorders Society-Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale, apathy item ≥ 2) and their caregivers participated in twelve, weekly virtual group music therapy sessions, with session attendance signifying adherence. Participants completed pre- and post-intervention assessments of apathy (Apathy Scale (AS)), quality of life (Parkinson's Disease Questionnaire-short form), functional ability (Schwab & England Activities of Daily Living Scale), depression (Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II)), and cognition (Montreal Cognitive Assessment-Blind). Among secondary outcomes, we assessed caregiver burden (Zarit Burden Interview-short form) and strain (Multidimensional Caregiver Strain Index). RESULTS: Sixteen PD participants (93.8% men, mean age 68.3 ± 8.4 years, median 6 years PD duration) and their caregivers (93.8% women, mean age 62.6 ± 11 years) completed the study. All PD participants and 88% of caregivers were >70% adherent to the intervention. Apathy (AS, effect size = 0.767, P = 0.002) and depression (BDI-II, effect size = 0.542, P = 0.03) improved, with no change in caregiver measures. CONCLUSION: Group music therapy is an effective treatment for apathy in PD and may improve mood. The virtual format is a feasible alternative to in-person sessions with high adherence and satisfaction.

Music and Health Institute Terms

Burnout; Caregiver Burnout; Cognitive Abilities; Depression; Functional Status; Mental Health; Mood; Music Therapy; Neurodegenerative Disorders; Parkinson's Disease; Quality of Life

Indexed Terms

Apathy; Parkinson Disease; Activities of Daily Living; Elderly; apathy; caregivers; nonpharmacologic; Parkinson’s disease; Pilot Projects; Quality of Life; virtual

Study Type

Quasi-Experimental Study; Quantitative Methods

Document Type

Article

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