The Effect of Music Therapy on Mood States in Neurological Patients

Magee, Wendy L. & Davidson, Jane W. (2002). “The effect of music therapy on mood states in neurological patients: A pilot study.” Journal of Music Therapy 39(1), pp. 20-29.

Abstract:
Music therapy as a clinical intervention has been demonstrated to improve mood states with a variety of populations, however, this has not yet been shown empirically with participants with neurological impairments. This report presents the results of a pilot study examining the effect of music therapy on mood states in patients with acquired and complex neuro-disabilities. Using a single subject design, pre and possession mood states were measured using the Profile of Mood States (Bipolar form). Analyses examined the main effects of pre/post measures as well as interactions between the specific musical therapeutic intervention, mood state, and diagnosis. Results showed that, in terms of composed-anxious, energetic-tired, and agreeable-hostile mood states, there was a significant difference between pre and post music therapy intervention in a positive direction. Although the study displayed that the benefits of music therapy in treating mood states in this patient group are limited, some of he results were affected by the difficulty of the POMS-BI questionnaire for the subject group. The results are discussed considering methodological improvements and arguing for the inclusion of music therapy as an effective intervention to address negative mood states in neuro-rehabilitation populations.

Keywords: neuro-rehabilitation patients; music therapy; mood states; neuro-disabilities; multiple sclerosis; traumatic brain injury; stroke; anoxia; brain damage

http://jmt.oxfordjournals.org.proxy1.lib.uwo.ca/content/39/1/20.full.pdf+html