Music Therapy With Alzheimer's Patients and Their Family Caregivers: A Pilot Project

Journal

Journal of Music Therapy

Year

2003

Issue

2

First Page

138

Last Page

150

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to present the results of a pilot project sponsored by a private foundation in Spain ("Fundació la Caixa"), in order to demonstrate some of the applications of music therapy, and to measure more systematically some of its effects on people with a probable diagnosis of Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders (ADRD) in early-moderate stages of the disease, and their family caregivers. Subjects for this project were 14 patients (5 women and 9 men) with a probable diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease, and 14 family caregivers (9 women and 5 men) from a rural area outside of Barcelona. Their age range was 70 to 80 years. Prior to the beginning of the project, a neuropsychologist specialized in gerontology administered a series of standardized tests to the participants. These same tests were administered again 2 days before the end of the project and 2 months later for follow-up purposes. The results of the satisfaction questionnaire showed that the caregivers perceived an improvement in the social and emotional areas of their patients, and statistical tests showed significant differences between pre and posttest scores in the following tests: (a) Dementia Scale (X2 = 12.29, p = .002), (b) NPI (X2 = 17.72, p = .001), (c) the Cohen-Mansfield agitation scale (X2 = 11.45, p = .003), (d) Burden Interview (X2 = 9.19, p = .01), (e) Memory and Behavior Problems Checklist (frequency subscale) (X2 = 11.09, p = .004), (f) STAI-S (X2 = 14.72, p = .001), and (g) Beck's Depression Inventory (X2 = 9.38, p = .009). These results and their implications are discussed extensively.

Music and Health Institute Terms

Alzheimer's and Related Dementias; Caregivers; Cognitive Abilities; Depression; Elderly; Emotional Functioning; Interpersonal Relations; Memory; Music Therapy; Neurodegenerative Disorders; Questionnaires; Psychological Outcomes; ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Indexed Terms

Elderly; Elderly; Alzheimer Disease; Caregivers; Pilot Projects; Severity of Illness Index; Spain; Statistics, Nonparametric; Time Factors

Study Type

Quasi-Experimental Study; Quantitative Methods

Disciplines

Music Therapy

PubMed ID

14505442

Document Type

Article

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