An analysis of the effects of live, personalized music interventions on expressions of agitation and depression in dementia patients.

Abstract

Abstract Objective: The study provided live music intervention featuring personalized selections for a group of dementia patients at a continuing care community. The study assessed the effectiveness of this intervention in reducing the frequency of expressions of agitation and depression in the patients. Design: Within group design (pre and post-test). Setting and Participants: The study took place in a continuing care community for adults with dementia behaviors over the age of 60. The research population consisted of individuals either diagnosed with dementia or had exhibited symptoms of dementia. Intervention: The study was done over a 13-week period. Live weekly personalized music interventions were provided by college-aged musicians. Measurement: The participants' depression and agitation levels were measured by the PHQ-9 (DEPRESSION SCALE) and CMAI (Cohen-Mansfield Agitation Inventory). The data was filled out by the participants’ primary caregivers and then collected after every two music interventions. Results: Data collected after the final (W13) personalized music intervention demonstrated that overall, all patient groups experienced a significant decrease in depressive behavior (p = 0.001). Within patients, higher attendance during personalized music intervention was also shown to be effective in contributing to reduced depressive behavior (p = 0.0016). Within all patient groups, no significant data could be drawn from the effects of personalized music intervention on agitated behavior. Conclusion: Personalized music intervention is effective in reducing depressive behavior in dementia patients. Further investigation of the effects of personalized music intervention on symptoms of agitation within dementia patients is still necessary.