EFFECTIVENESS OF MUSIC-THERAPY 1/1 INTERVENTION WITH INDIVIDUALS HAVING SENILE DEMENTIA OF THE ALZHEIMERS TYPE

Thirty persons (16 females and 14 males) with an average age of 77.5 years, who resided in a major metropolitan health care facility on a special Alzheimer's unit and who exhibited wandering behavior, took part in this study. Proper permission and informed consent were obtained from all involved parties. Participants were randomly assigned to either mostly music attention or mostly reading attention groups. Individual reading and music preference histories were taken to tailor treatment sessions. Baseline and session wandering behavior were measured by pedometers, mercury counters, and cyclometers. Participants received seven one-to-one sessions by the music therapist (either five sessions of music and two reading, or five sessions reading and two music). Seating/proximity duration was recorded on videotape. The Mini-Mental Status Exam (MMSE, a brief cognitive test) was administered at pre and post sessions. Results indicated that participants remained seated or in close proximity to the session area longer for music sessions than for reading sessions under all conditions. Mean differences in seating/proximity time were significant in favor of all music versus all reading sessions. There was a significant session effect for an increase for seating/proximity scores and a decrease in wandering scores over the course of Sessions 1-5 for both groups. No significant differences were found in wandering or cognitive difference scores for treatments or groups.