Music as Add-On Therapy in the Rehabilitation Program of Parkinson’s Disease Patients—A Romanian Pilot Study

Abstract

Music has been proven to have therapeutic potential in neurological disorders, especially Parkinson’s disease (PD), since rhythmic auditory cueing can partially replace the progressive loss of rhythmicity and automaticity. Several reports have highlighted improvements in motor outcomes in PD patients undergoing music therapy, but only a few studies have evaluated non-motor outcomes, such as quality of life (QoL), which deteriorates with disease progression. The current pilot study aims to examine the effects of a multimodal rehabilitation program centered on physical therapy combined with listening to music on self-reported QoL in people with PD, compared to the same rehabilitation program alone. The study was conducted on patients with idiopathic PD who attended a specific rehabilitation program with a duration of 2.5 h daily for 14 days. The patients were divided into the study group (16 patients), who listened to background music during the rehabilitation program sessions, and the control group who did not listen to music during sessions. The patients were assessed using the self-report Parkinson’s Disease Questionnaire (PDQ-39) at the beginning of the program and 1 month after its initiation. The patients in the study group registered greater improvements in five of the eight areas of life assessed by PDQ-39 compared to the control group. In conclusion, listening to music combined with a multimodal rehabilitation program centered on physical therapy may be beneficial for the patients’ quality of life.

Whether mindfulness-guided therapy can be a new direction for the rehabilitation of patients with Parkinson’s disease: a network meta-analysis of non-pharmacological alternative motor-/sensory-based interventions

“…After selection, 58 studies ( Chaiwanichsiri et al, 2011 ; Duncan and Earhart, 2012 , 2014 ; Li et al, 2012 , 2018 , 2021 , 2022 ; Amano et al, 2013 ; Cheon et al, 2013 ; Corcos et al, 2013 ; Hye-Jung et al, 2013 ; Nocera et al, 2013 ; Volpe et al, 2013 ; Gao et al, 2014 ; Chen et al, 2015 ; Hashimoto et al, 2015 ; Rios Romenets et al, 2015 ; Sharma et al, 2015 ; Zhang et al, 2015 ; Choi, 2016 ; Kluger et al, 2016 ; Pantelyat et al, 2016 ; Ventura et al, 2016 ; Wong-Yu and Mak, 2016 ; Xiao and Zhuang, 2016 ; Kunkel et al, 2017 ; Lou et al, 2017 ; Cheung et al, 2018 ; Kong et al, 2018 ; Kurt et al, 2018 ; Lee et al, 2018 ; Michels et al, 2018 ; Van Puymbroeck et al, 2018 ; Vergara-Diaz et al, 2018 ; Kalyani et al, 2019 , 2020 ; Kwok et al, 2019 , 2022 ; Poier et al, 2019 ; Rawson et al, 2019 ; Solla et al, 2019 ; Wroblewska et al, 2019 ; Burt et al, 2020 ; Cancela et al, 2020 ; Dos Santos Delabary et al, 2020 ; Elangovan et al, 2020 ; Jang et al, 2020 ; Khuzema et al, 2020 ; Moon et al, 2020 ; Pohl et al, 2020 ; Cherup et al, 2021 ; Fodor et al, 2021 ; Frisaldi et al, 2021 ; Shen et al, 2021 ; Brandin-de la Cruz et al, 2022 ; ...…”

Rhythmic auditory stimulation promotes gait recovery in Parkinson's patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis

“…Five hundred and twenty six studies were removed as they did not meet the eligibility criteria. Finally, 18 studies were included after the full text of 108 literature were read ( 22 , 23 , 30 – 45 ).…”

“…The mean age of the participants in each study ranged from 62 to 72 years. The regions of eligible studies included Italy ( 22 , 33 , 36 , 38 , 42 , 44 , 45 ), Sweden ( 23 , 31 ), Poland ( 39 ), Brazil ( 34 ) and Romania ( 30 ), Canada, ( 32 , 43 ), the United States ( 35 , 40 , 41 ), China ( 37 ). The average disease duration of PD patients included in the study ranged from 4 to 13 years.…”

“…Only two studies had more than 100 subjects, thirteen studies had <50 subjects, making the generalizability of the study survey difficult. Thirdly, by employing the 18 RCTs we had included in this meta-analysis for the PICOs (Population, Intervention, Control and Outcome evaluation), the Table 2 so constructed has demonstrated for each study the specific intervention method: the interventions given to patients in these 18 individual studies were either RAS, ( 22 , 31 , 34 – 39 , 41 , 44 ), Rhythm with Musical melody ( 23 , 30 , 31 , 33 , 40 , 42 , 43 , 45 ) or Physiotherapy on an Acoustic Vibration Chair ( 32 ). For control groups, patients would either receive conventional physical therapy, with or without a structured instruction, or an intervention placebo (the vibration chair without rhythm or melody.)…”

Music Therapy and Parkinson’s Disease: A Systematic Review from 2015–2020

“…Music therapy has been defined as the use of sounds and music within an evolving patient–therapist relationship to support and develop physical, mental, and social spiritual well-being [ 1 ]. Music has cognitive, psychosocial, behavioral, and motor benefits for people with neurological disorders such as dementia or Parkinson’s disease (PD) [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 ]. The profound value that music brings to human health and well-being provides a framework for the development of non-pharmaceutical treatments for neurological disorders [ 7 ].…”