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The effects of music therapy on cognition, psychiatric symptoms, and activities of daily living in patients with Alzheimer's disease

Lyu, Jihui; Zhang, Jingnan; Mu, Haiyan; Li, Wenjie; Champ, Mei; Qian, Xiong; Gao, Tian; Xie, Lijuan; Jin, Weiye; Yang, Wan; Cui, Mengnan; Gao, Maolong; Li, Mo

Authors

Jihui Lyu

Jingnan Zhang

Haiyan Mu

Wenjie Li

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Mei Champ Mei.Champ@uwe.ac.uk
Senior Lecturer in Adult Nursing

Xiong Qian

Tian Gao

Lijuan Xie

Weiye Jin

Wan Yang

Mengnan Cui

Maolong Gao

Mo Li



Abstract

BACKGROUND: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common type of dementia, affecting millions of older people worldwide. However, pharmacological therapies have not achieved desirable clinical efficacy in the past decades. Non-pharmacological therapies have been receiving increased attention to treat dementia in recent years. OBJECTIVE: This study explores the effects of music therapy on cognitive function and mental wellbeing of patients with AD. METHODS: A total number of 298 AD patients with mild, moderate, or severe dementia participated in the study. The participants with each grade of severity were randomly divided into three groups, which were a singing group, a lyric reading group, and a control group. These three groups received different interventions for three months. All participants underwent a series of tests on cognitive functions, neuropsychological symptoms, and activities of daily living at baseline, three months, and six months. RESULTS: The analysis shows that music therapy is more effective for improving verbal fluency and for alleviating the psychiatric symptoms and caregiver distress than lyrics reading in patients with AD. Stratified analysis shows that music therapy is effective for enhancing memory and language ability in patients with mild AD and reducing the psychiatric symptoms and caregiver distress in patients with moderate or severe AD. However, no significant effect was found for activities of daily living in patients with mild, moderate, or severe AD. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that music therapy is effective in enhancing cognitive function and mental wellbeing and can be recommended as an alternative approach to manage AD associated symptoms.

Citation

Lyu, J., Zhang, J., Mu, H., Li, W., Champ, M., Qian, X., …Li, M. (2018). The effects of music therapy on cognition, psychiatric symptoms, and activities of daily living in patients with Alzheimer's disease. Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, 64(4), 1347-1358. https://doi.org/10.3233/JAD-180183

Journal Article Type Article
Acceptance Date Jun 7, 2018
Publication Date Jan 1, 2018
Journal Journal of Alzheimer's disease : JAD
Print ISSN 1387-2877
Electronic ISSN 1875-8908
Publisher IOS Press
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 64
Issue 4
Pages 1347-1358
DOI https://doi.org/10.3233/JAD-180183
Keywords clinical psychology, geriatrics and gerontology, psychiatry and mental health, general Medicine
Public URL https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/864730
Publisher URL http://dx.doi.org/10.3233/jad-180183