The effect of group music therapy on mood, speech, and singing in individuals wi

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Journal of music Therapy, Vol. 49(3) (2012), pp. 278.
The effect of group music therapy on mood, speech, and singing in individuals with Parkinson’s disease–a feasibility study.
Elefant, Cochavit., University of Bergen Norway
Abstract:
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system where patients present impairments in speech production. There has been very little research done so far on the possible effects of music therapy and musical interventions on vocal abilities with the clinical population of PD.
Objective:
The purpose of the study was to assess the influence of a group voice and singing intervention on speech, singing, and depressive symptoms in clients iwht PD.
Method:
There were 10 participants in this study who were diagnosed with PD. Each therapeutic group session was one hour in length. It was held in a small group setting one day a week for twenty consecutive weeks. The KayPentax Multi-Dimensional voice program was used to analyze both singing and speech quality with the participants. The Voice Handicap Index (VHI) was also used to measure vocal abilities. The Montgomery and Asberg Depression rating scale was used to measure the depressive symptoms among the participants. Measurements for the rating scale were marked during the very first session, tenth session, and the very last twentieth session.
Results:
Substantial results of improvement were shown within five out of the six singing interventions near the tenth session and up to the twentieth session. There was no significant improvement in the participants’ speaking or depressive symptoms. Nevertheless, none of the clients’ speech deterioration increased or worsened from the conducted study.
Keywords: Parkinson’s Disease, Music Therapy Group Therapy; Vocal Ability; Singing; Depression