Music As Therapy For Alzheimers' Patients

Alzheimer's patients exhibit a range of behaviors that create difficulties for caregivers. These behaviors include anxiety, depression, agitation, and violence. Therapies and management procedures other than pharmacological medications and physical restraint are desirable. Music therapy has been suggested as an intervention for patients experiencing anxiety, depression, agitation, and violence. A research study was proposed, the purpose of which would be to assess the feasibility of music therapy as an intervention for Alzheimer's patients.

A total of 20 subjects diagnosed as suffering from Alzheimer's disease will be selected from among the population of Alzheimer's patients at a participating long-term care facility. The selection of subjects will be made through the application of random procedures. The selection of subjects will not be restricted on the basis of age, gender, education, or physical condition. The anticipation, however, is that most subjects will be over the age of 65 and that females and males will be equally represented in the sample.

Subjects will be observed in their normal settings prior to the conduct of the music therapy. During this observation, data relevant to the dependent variables will be collected and recorded.

Music therapy will be provided to patients on an individual basis. The music used will be classical music and the therapy will last for one-hour.

Subjects will be observed a second time in their normal settings subsequent

Related Essays

Music Therapy Music therapy is a viable and useful alternative to more traditional psychological therapeutic methods. As an approach, it is integrated .... (3413 14 )

Research Proposal on Music Therapy for Alzheimer's Patients .... Music therapy, which has been used with some success in other patients, has been suggested as an intervention for Alzheimer's patients experiencing anxiety .... (2577 10 )

Music Therapy: An Article Critique .... out that mealtimes frequently are focal points of disquiet for such patients, and that intervention strategies, including the music therapy addressed in the .... (1651 7 )

Application of Music Therapy in High School The purpose of this research is to examine the definition and application of music therapy to the high school instructional and counseling setting. .... (6267 25 )

Music Therapy and Stress Music Therapy and Stress: Treating the Adult Client There are any number of approaches to therapeutic interventions that target adults with a wide range and .... (2151 9 )

. Subjects receiving music therapy will exhibit fewer episodes of disruptive behavior in the two hours following the end of the therapy than they exhibited in the two hours preceding the therapy. 3. Subjects receiving music therapy will exhibit fewer episodes of violent behavior in the two hours following the end of the therapy than they exhibited in the two hours preceding the therapy. With respect to each hypothesis, the independent variable will be the period of activity for the subjects. The independent variable will be defined operationally as (1) the two-hour period immediately prior to receiving music therapy and (2) the two-hour period immediately following music therapy. With respect to hypothesis number one, the dependent variable will be the level of patient anxiety. Clinical anxiety is defined within the context of feelings experienced by a person (Lane, Terry, & Karageorghis, 1995). At one level, anxiety is defined as a feeling of mingled dread and apprehension about a person's future where no specific cause for such dread and apprehension is present. At another level anxiety is defined as a chronic feeling of fear by a person. This feeling may be mild in intensity or the feeling fear may be overwhelming for

Category: Psychology - M