Music Therapy and Adults with Parkinson’s Disease  

Anne Lemos Edgerton 

Parkinson’s disease (PD) effects 10 million people worldwide. It is a neurodegenerative disease that generally effects older people (age 60 plus) but can be found in younger adults. The symptoms effect both the motor and non-motor abilities. Motor symptoms can be tremor, rfirections and with the addition of bending the knees when they return the arms. If not able, clients can remain seated. If able to stand up, clients might expand the return of the arms to a rounding of the upper back before returning to sitting up straight. 

Step 4:  Addition of Rhythmic Auditory Stimulation (RAF). MT will switch to drumming to support the movement. Clients are asked to stand up if they are able, if not they can remain seated. The exercises from the previous step are expanded upon with a strong rhythmic support. Clients are asked to step in place to the music in as normal a gait as possible. If they can accomplish this MT will add the arm movements from the previous step. The therapist may need to model this complex movement combination.  

Step 5: Return to warm up. Clients are asked to sit down and take one deep breath using their arms to support it or not.  

Note: the entire experience is supported by improvised music on the piano live or recorded improvised music. It is important for the MT to be present and participate in the exercises, initially doing them along with the clients until they become comfortable to do them independently.  

My interest in Parkinson’s disease and why I chose this population 

I have been interested in the study of Dance with Parkinson’s Disease since attending a workshop with the Dance for PD with the Mark Morris Dance Foundation. I was struck by how effective Dance can be with this population and wanted to explore the connection of music therapy with the population as well. Since dance and music are connected and many of the studies on Parkinson’s disease involve movement connected to music it was a natural transference in terms of study.  

Bibliography 

  1. Kugutek, Demien, Ready, Emily, Holmes, Jeffrey D., Graham, Jessica A. (2022). Synchronization during Improvised Active Music Therapy in clients with Parkinson’s disease. Nordic Journal of Music Therapy, DOI:10.1080/08098131.2022.2107054. Study of the effects of asynchrony during improvised music for Parkinson’s patients. 

  2. De Luca ,Rosario, Latella, Deseree, Maggio, Maria Grazia,  Leonardi, Simona,  Sorbera, Chiara,  Di Lorenzo, Giusippe, Balletta, Tina Cannavo, Antonio, Naro, Antoinio,  Impellizzeri, Federica and  Calabro, Rocco Salvatore. (2020) IRCCS Centro Neurolesi “Bonino Pulejo”, Messina, Italy .  Do patients with PD benefit from music assisted therapy plus treadmill-based gait training? An exploratory study focused on behavioral outcomes.  International Journal of Neuroscience, 2020, VOL. 130, NO. 9, 933–940 https://doi.org/10.1080/00207454.2019.171014  Study of gait training through music therapy and its effect on cognitive and behavioral functions 

  3. Balduino, Daniella, Scorza, Vitorino and Carla Alessandra,  Fiorini, Ana Claudia,  Finsterer, Josef,  Scorza, Fulvio Alexandre. (2021) “Mozart effect” for Parkinson’s disease: music as medicine. Neurological Sciences 42:319–320. How different styles of music can improve gait in patients with Parkinson’s, in particular Mozart Sonata for two pianos in D major (K448) 

  4. Forte, Roberta1 Tocci, Nicoletta1, De Vito, Giuseppe2 (2021) The Impact of Exercise Intervention with Rhythmic Auditory Stimulation to Improve Gait and Mobility in Parkinson Disease: An Umbrella Review. Brain Sciences (2076-3425). Jun2021, Vol. 11 Issue 6, p685-685. 1p. Study of the connection of exercises performed with the support of music to improve balance, mobility, gait and activities of daily living. 

  5. Hsu, Prisca, Ready, Emily A, Grahn, Jessica A. (2021) The effects of Parkinson’s disease, music training, and dance training on beat perception and production abilities. Max Plank Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Studies, Germany. Study of beat perception of Parkinson’s disease patients comparing those with music training and those with no musical training. 

  6. Barnish, Maxwell S., Barran, Susannah M., (2020) A systematic review of active group-based dance, singing, music therapy and theatrical interventions for quality of life, functional communication speech, motor function and cognitive status in people with Parkinson’s disease. BMC Neurology. The impact of group performing arts activities for people with PD and its effect on quality of life, speech, and cognition. 

    References 

    1. https://danceforparkinsons.org Dance for PD® offers internationally-acclaimed, research-backed dance classes for people with Parkinson’s disease online, in New York City and throughout the country 

    2. Dalcroze Eurhythmics in music therapy and special music education, Habron, John 

    Approaches: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Music Therapy: “Dalcroze Eurhythmics in music therapy and special music education”.