Abstract
Music therapy is an established healthcare profession with evidence-based, adaptive therapeutic applications providing a unique and valued role within the neurologic healthcare setting. Neuroscientific research in music is giving rise to new ideas, perspectives, and methods for the music therapy development of more effective therapeutic interventions for persons living with Parkinson’s disease. Research in music therapy and in other areas such as neuroscience, physical, speech, and occupational therapy have established scientific evidence supporting the effect of rhythmic and musical stimulation on motor and non-motor symptoms of Parkinson’s disease and parkinsonism. The contemporary music therapy neuroscience approach integrates the functional use of external rhythmic cueing and other music-based methods with a variety of research supported strategies to enhance the quality of life for the individual living with Parkinson’s.
This thesis provide a complete literature review, detailed description of Parkinson’s disease and its symptoms, and an evidence-based music therapy curriculum for clinical treatment of this population. In fall 2008, a music therapy clinical pilot program was created and developed as a community outreach for persons living with Parkinson’s disease. Music therapy curriculum evolved from this program which is currently on-going with a weekly consistent attendance. This music therapy clinical movement program entails a progression of simple to more complex movement initiations utilizing musical stimuli and external auditory cueing applied to a range of motor activities implemented at a specific number of beats per minute (BPM). Evidence-based activities include specific stretches and exercises to decrease rigidity, increase joint mobility, decrease bradykinesia and akinesia of gait initiation, and positively enhance mood. Motor-neuro exercises from the Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) are also utilized. Patient preferred music is used to increase motivation to perform activity while improving fine motor coordination and motor initiation responses. Initial simple to complex movement patterns to specific rhythmic stimuli progress to structured ballroom dancing and adapted line dancing.
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