An Investigation of Long-term Effects of Group Music Therapy on Agitation Levels of People With Alzheimer's Disease
Journal
Aging & Mental Health
Year
2007
Abstract
This study aimed to investigate the long-term effects of group music therapy on agitation manifested by nursing home residents with Alzheimer's disease. A non-randomised experimental design was employed with one group receiving weekly music therapy (n = 26) and another group receiving standard nursing home care (n = 19). Agitation levels were measured five times over one year using the Cohen-Mansfield Agitation Inventory (Cohen-Mansfield, J. (1989). Agitation in the elderly. In N. Billig & P. V. Rabins (Eds.), Issues in geriatric psychiatry (pp. 101-113). Basel, Switzerland: Karger). Although music therapy participants showed short-term reductions in agitation, there were no significant differences between the groups in the range, frequency, and severity of agitated behaviours manifested over time. Multiple measures of treatment efficacy are necessary to better understand the long-term effects music therapy programs have on this population.
Music and Health Institute Terms
Agitation; Alzheimer's and Related Dementias; Elderly; Long-Term Care Facility; Neurodegenerative Disorders; Symptom Management
Indexed Terms
Elderly; Elderly; Aggression; Alzheimer Disease; Outcome Assessment, Health Care; Queensland; Time Factors
Study Type
Quasi-Experimental Study; Quantitative Methods
PubMed ID
17558584
Document Type
Article
Recommended Citation
Ledger, A. J., & Baker, F. A. (2007). An Investigation of Long-term Effects of Group Music Therapy on Agitation Levels of People With Alzheimer's Disease. Aging & Mental Health (3), 330-338. Retrieved from https://remix.berklee.edu/mhi-citations/44