A Preliminary Study of Music Therapy Programming for Severely Regressed Persons With Alzheimer's-Type Dementia

Abstract

Three male subjects with a primary diagnosis of Alzheimer's-type dementia participated in weekly, 30-minute music therapy sessions for 15 months. Subjects were selected randomly from among 29 residents of a nursing unit at Colmery-O'Neil Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Topeka, Kansas. All subjects were low functioning and required consistent supervision for behavioral management. Data were gathered in the last 11 weeks of the music therapy program for communicating, watching others, singing, interacting with an instrument, and sitting. Though the subjects deteriorated markedly in their cognitive, physical, and social capacities over the course of their disease in 15 months, data in the latter 11 weeks of the program indicated that they continued to participate in music activities in a structured group context. Data analyses showed that music participation was maintained over the course of the 11 weeks. Subjects consistently sat in chairs without physical restraints for the duration of each 30-minute session. Regardless of their deterioration, subjects were able to function with others in a group context. For most, this was the only time in their week when they could successfully interact with others in some acceptable form.