Title page for ETD etd-07082011-055916

Type of Document

Thesis

Author

Harmon, Brittany S.

URN

etd-07082011-055916

Title

The Effect of Song Rendition on Participation and Behavior States of Older Adults with Alzheimer's Disease

Degree

Master of Music

Department

Music, College of

Advisory Committee

Advisor Name	Title
Alice-Ann Darrow	Committee Chair
Dianne Gregory	Committee Member
Jayne Standley	Committee Member

Keywords

Live Music
Preferred Awake State
Recorded Music
Original Recording
Therapist-Recording

Date of Defense

2011-05-20

Availability

unrestricted

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of song rendition on the behavioral states and participation levels of older adults with dementia of the Alzheimer’s type. A within-subject design was used with participants receiving individual sessions under three experimental song conditions: live music, therapists’ recordings, and original artists’ recordings. All sessions were videotaped for analysis and coded to measure participants’: 1) time spent in the alert behavior states according to the behavioral state coding system (Guess et al., 1990) and 2) kind and level of participation during the three song renditions. Results indicated that there was no significant difference among the three song renditions on eliciting and maintaining participants’ preferred-awake states. Further analysis of conditions and participants’ cognitive levels revealed that participants with medium and low cognitive levels sustained a higher percentage of time in alert states than those with a high cognitive level during the live music condition. Additionally, those with a middle cognitive level sustained a higher percentage of time in alert states than those with a low cognitive level during the no music condition. Independent observers’ participation ratings revealed a significantly higher participation level of tapping hands and feet during the live music condition than during the therapist’s recordings or original artists’ recordings. These findings have implications for the use of live and recorded music as nonverbal forms of communication for adults diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.

Files

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