Evaluating Note Frequency and Velocity During Improvised Active Music Therapy in Clients With Parkinson's Disease.

The purpose of this article was to report on the findings of the note frequency and velocity measures during Improvised Active Music Therapy (IAMT) sessions with individuals with Parkinson's disease (PD). In this single-subject multiple baseline design across subjects, the article reports the note frequency (note count) and velocity of movement (mean note velocity) played by three right-handed participants while playing uninterrupted improvised music on a simplified electronic drum-set. During baseline, the music therapist played rhythmic accompaniment on guitar using a low-moderate density of syncopation. During treatment, the Music Therapist introduced rhythms with a moderate-high density of syncopation. The music content of the sessions was transformed into digital music using a musical instrument digital interface. Results of this study indicated that all participants exhibited an increase in note count during baseline until reaching a plateau at treatment condition and were found to be significantly positively correlated with the Music Therapist's note count. All participants played more notes with upper extremity (UE) across conditions than with lower extremity. All participants also scored similar total mean velocity across conditions. Two participants demonstrated higher mean note velocity with UE than right foot, whereas the other participant did not demonstrate this difference. Two participants also exhibited greater mean note velocity variability with left foot within and across conditions. More research is required to identify commonalities in note count and mean note velocity measures in individuals with PD during IAMT sessions.

Active Music Therapy and Physical Improvements From Rehabilitation for Neurological Conditions.

Context • A variety of rehabilitation-based interventions are currently available for individuals with physical impairments resulting from neurological conditions, including physiotherapy, occupational therapy, and speech language pathology. Many individuals find participation in those therapies to be challenging. Alternative therapies have emerged as beneficial adjunctive treatments for individuals undergoing neurological rehabilitation, including music therapy (MT). Objective • The study intended to identify and collate systematically the evidence on MT interventions that address physical improvements in a rehabilitative setting. Design • The research team performed a literature review, searching electronic databases from their inception to April 2014, including Embase, CINAHL, PubMed, Scopus, and ProQuest. The review included original studies that examined the use of active MT as an intervention that promotes physical improvements for adults >18 y of age. Articles were excluded if the studies focused primarily on psychosocial, emotional, or spiritual therapeutic goals. The review identified the studies' outcome measures for different populations and the MT approaches and interventions and obtained a general description of the clinical sessions, such as the frequency and duration of the therapy, interventions performed, sessions designs, populations, equipment used, and credentials of the therapists. Results • Eleven studies identified 2 major categories for the delivery of MT sessions: individual and group. One study included group sessions, and 10 studies included individual sessions. The studies included a total of 290 participants, 32 in the group MT, and 258 in the individual MT. The one study that used group therapy was based on active MT improvisation. For the individual therapy, 2 studies had investigated therapeutic instrument music performance and 8 used music-supported therapy. Conclusions • The findings of the review suggested that active MT can improve motor skills and should be considered as a potential adjunctive treatment.