Music therapy helps stroke patients
Research examines benefits of sessions on a stroke and rehabilitation unit
March 5, 2020
Science Daily/Anglia Ruskin University
New research has found that music therapy sessions have a positive effect on the neurorehabilitation of acute stroke patients, as well as their mood.
The study -- the first large-scale investigation into the feasibility of delivering these exercises -- was led by Dr Alex Street, of Anglia Ruskin University (ARU), and was carried out on a 26-bed stroke and rehabilitation unit at Addenbrooke's hospital in Cambridge.
In total, 177 patients took part in 675 Neurologic Music Therapy (NMT) sessions over a two-year period. The researchers investigated its success among patients, their relatives, and health professionals, and the results are published in the journal Topics in Stroke Rehabilitation.
Music therapy is understood to help stroke patients through mood regulation, improved concentration, and promoting changes in the brain to improve function, known as neural reorganisation. Physical benefits include better arm function and gait.
Lots of repetition, or 'massed practice', is central to neurorehabilitation. In addition to playing physical instruments (keyboard, drums and hand-held percussion), iPads featuring touchscreen instruments were used in the trial to help patients with hand rehabilitation, through improving finger dexterity, and cognitive training.
NMT sessions were run alongside existing stroke rehabilitation treatment, including physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, and clinical psychology.
Of the 139 patients, relatives and hospital staff who completed questionnaires, the average response was that NMT was "helpful" or "very helpful." And of the 52 patients who completed mood scale questionnaires, there was a reduction in "sad" and an increase in "happy" responses immediately following a session.
Speech and language therapists observed a positive impact on patient arousal and engagement, and reported that it may help patients overcome low mood and fatigue -- both common following stroke -- and therefore be beneficial for their rehabilitation.
Following the success of the trial, the Cambridge Institute for Music Therapy Research at Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) and Addenbrooke's hospital are developing a proposal to establish a permanent NMT post on the stroke ward, funded by the NHS.
Dr Alex Street, Senior Research Fellow within the Cambridge Institute for Music Therapy Research at Anglia Ruskin University (ARU), said: "Our study found that Neurologic Music Therapy was received enthusiastically by patients, their relatives, and staff.
"The fact 675 sessions were carried out in two years is in itself an indication of the success of the treatment. It shows that staff are referring patients because they understand the mechanisms of the exercises and can see how it can benefit their patients. It also shows that patients are willing to do the exercises, with each one participating in an average of five sessions.
"Staff felt that using music and instruments allowed patients to achieve a high amount of repetition to help achieve their goals. They felt that the exercises appear less clinical, because the patients are playing music with the music therapist, and they are receiving immediate feedback from the exercises, through the sounds they create. Further research is necessary to establish potential effects of music therapy on recovery rate and length of hospital stay."
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/03/200305203539.htm
Animal-assisted therapy improves social behavior in patients with brain injuries
April 9, 2019
Science Daily/University of Basel
Animal-assisted therapy can foster social competence in patients with brain injuries and increase their emotional involvement during therapy. These were the findings of a clinical trial conducted by psychologists from the University of Basel and published in the journal Scientific Reports.
After a severe traumatic brain injury, patients often exhibit problems in their social behavior. For instance, they may suffer from reduced emotional empathy and show impaired emotional expression, all contributing to communicative problems in social interactions.
Stimulating engagement and motivation
Animal-assisted therapy is increasingly being used in rehabilitation in order to improve these deficits in patients' social competence. Integrating animals into therapy can, for example, stimulate patient engagement and motivation. In collaboration with REHAB Basel, the clinic for neurorehabilitation and paraplegiology, and the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, researchers in the Faculty of Psychology at the University of Basel have now undertaken the first systematic study on in-patients with acquired brain injury to assess the effectiveness of this therapy method.
The study involved conducting animal-assisted therapy sessions for 19 adult participants alongside conventional therapy sessions. The patients' social behavior were recorded and evaluated during over 200 animal-assisted and conventional therapy sessions. The study also documented patient mood and satisfaction and their treatment motivation -- an important criterion in therapeutic success.
More positive emotions
The results showed that in the presence of an animal -- which included guinea pigs, miniature pigs, rabbits and sheep -- patients exhibited more active social engagement than during the conventional therapy sessions. They expressed nearly twice as many positive emotions and communicated more frequently both verbally and non-verbally. The animal-assisted therapy had no effect on negative emotions, such as rage or anger. If an animal was present during the therapy session, patients considered themselves more satisfied and their motivation to actively participate in the therapy higher; this was congruent with the assessments of the therapists.
"The results suggest that animal-assisted therapy can have a positive effect on the social behavior of patients with brain injuries," concluded the study's principal investigator, Dr. Karin Hediger from the University of Basel in Switzerland.
"Animals can be relevant therapeutic partners, because they motivate patients to care for the animal. Secondly, animals provide a stimulus for patients to actively engage in the therapeutic activities." Thus, animal-assisted therapy may be a promising supplement to conventional neurorehabilitation, says the psychologist.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/04/190409083230.htm