Aging is a universal phenomenon, present in all ages and cultures. It is a continuous process that depends on several factors that are not the same in every human being. Many factors contribute to the type of aging process people have like lifestyles and social and environmental surroundings.
Diaz Abrahan discusses the psycho-gerontological approach to aging being split into three types of aging: normal, pathological, and active aging. The first one refers to the natural changes occurring as a result of the constant modifications along an individual’s course of life. This can be characterized by the degree of natural decline of cognitive functions like memory, information processing speed, and visual decline. Pathological aging has to do with changes produced by illnesses or bad habits that are not part of normal aging. Sometimes, it can be prevented or controlled, but in some it is irreversible. This can be the case for those diagnosed with dementia, neurodegenerative disorders, Alzheimer’s disease, and Parkinson’s disease, among others. Finally, active aging takes place in the best possible physical, psychological and social conditions, with little loss of the psychosocial, physical, and/or cognitive abilities, resulting in a better quality of life and life expectancy.
Diaz wanted to evaluate the effectiveness of music therapy in improving the quality of life of older adults. A program proposal was made by the day center aiming to deal with the psychosocial problems of older persons, encouraging integration among peers, self-management, and social participation with 15 patients for eight months at an average age of 80 years old. The care center used the inventory of quality of life (IQoL) as their pre/post documentation to help validate the need for music therapy with older adults in their facility. By the end of the eight months, the results showed that the benefits of music therapy were reflected in the total quality of life scores, encompassing the final average of all the inventory areas of life.
Similar to the proposal Diaz conducted, the staff at Cottonwood Retirement wanted to begin to include music therapy sessions into the residents’ schedule. After implementing a music therapy session twice a week the staff found music therapy effective in changing social, physical, emotional, and cognitive functioning. All participants shared observations of the effectiveness of music therapy for older adult consumers at Cottonwood Retirement and reported that consumers were more animated and more likely to participate in movement exercises while engaging in music therapy versus being prompted. More socialization throughout the week if music sessions were held on Mondays.
Music acts as a complex stimulus, exerting neurophysiological signals that activate brain structures associated with cognition, motor skills, and the regulation of emotions. Evidence of a music therapy intervention has shown an increase in cerebral blood flow and prefrontal cortex activity in older adults with cognitive decline. This suggested the development of new neural networks working to improve executive function. This suggests improvements in the person's ability to concentrate and retain and remember information in both the short and long-term, as well as the ability to organize, plan, and execute actions.
Evidence has shown that music therapy has been effective in reducing symptoms of depression in older adults with different neuropathological states. The nursing staff at Cottonwood Retirement recorded their patients writing songs with music therapists for family members, creating scrapbooks to help process past memories, and use lyric analysis to assist residents remembering experiences from their past and relating them to words from their favorite songs.
Some music therapy interventions used with older adults focus on body movements generating a positive effect on the motor system. Rhythmic auditory stimulation (RAS) is also used to become a rhythmic signal that is translated into a motor response. Gait parameter improvements are not often reported as outcomes in music therapy interventions in older adults with cognitive decline. The study published in Music Therapy Perspectives found preliminary effects in two gait parameters, gait velocity, and stride length, with higher scores at the end of the music therapy intervention. The effects in terms of cognition, gait parameters, depression symptoms, and flexibility can be attributed to the fact that music acts as a stimulus for cognitive, affective and sensorimotor processes by acting on the brain structures associated with cognitive, emotional, and motor responses (Wells, 2019 pp.52).
References
Diaz Abrahan, V., Lemos Jaramillo, A., & Justel, N. (2019). Benefits of Music Therapy in the Quality of Life of Older Adults. Revista Ciencias de La Salud, 17(3), 9–19. https://doi.org/10.12804/revistas.urosario.edu.co/revsalud/a.8349
Domínguez-Chávez, C. J., Murrock, C. J., Guerrero, P. I. C., & Salazar-González, B. C. (2019). Music therapy intervention in community-dwelling older adults with mild cognitive impairment: A pilot study. Geriatric Nursing, 40(6), 614–619. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gerinurse.2019.06.004
Wells Staab, K., & Dvorak, A. L. (2019). Perception of music therapy by direct care staff of older adults with intellectual disabilities. Music Therapy Perspectives, 37(1), 45–54. https://doi.org/10.1093/mtp/miy021