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THE ROLE OF MUSIC THERAPY IN PARKINSON’S DISEASE, ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE, AND AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER

Year 2025, Volume: 8 Issue: 2, 693 - 716

Hande Tokgöz

https://doi.org/10.51576/ymd.1679195

Abstract

Music therapy is increasingly recognized as an effective, non-invasive intervention for various neurological disorders. This meta-analytic review examines its impact on Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) by analyzing data from multiple clinical studies. The focus is on cognitive, emotional, and physical outcomes, as well as the underlying therapeutic mechanisms. Findings indicate that music therapy benefits from the brain’s neuroplasticity, emotional responsiveness, and rhythmic synchronization. In Parkinson’s disease, Rhythmic Auditory Stimulation (RAS) improves motor function, gait, and balance. For Alzheimer’s patients, music enhances memory recall, emotional stability, and reduces caregiver burden. In individuals with ASD, music therapy supports social interaction, emotional regulation, and sensory integration, particularly through participatory techniques. The review highlights music therapy’s complementary role alongside traditional treatments. However, limitations such as small sample sizes and inconsistent methodologies across studies are noted. The need for longitudinal research and the development of AI-assisted, culturally adaptive therapy tools is emphasized. Given its interdisciplinary scope, music therapy holds significant promise in the holistic management of neurological disorders. This study consolidates current evidence while outlining directions for future research and clinical application, aiming to improve quality of life for both patients and caregivers.

Keywords

Alzheimer’s disease Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Music therapy Neurological disorders Parkinson’s disease.

References

  • Boso, M., Emanuele, E., Minazzi, V., Abbamonte, M., and Politi, P. (2007). Effect of long-term interactive music therapy on behavior profile and musical skills in young adults with severe autism. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 13(7), 709–712.
  • Boso, M., Emanuele, E., Minoretti, P., Politi, P., and Barale, F. (2006). Neurophysiology and neurobiology of the musical experience. Functional Neurology, 21(4), 187–191.
  • Bruscia, K. E. (2014). Defining music therapy (3rd ed.). Barcelona Publishers.
  • Clair, A. A., and Bernstein, B. (1990). A preliminary study of music therapy programming for severely regressed persons with Alzheimer's Type dementia. Journal of Applied Gerontology, 9(3), 299–311.
  • Davis, W. B., Gfeller, K. E., and Thaut, M. H. (2008). An introduction to music therapy: Theory and practice. American Music Therapy Association.
  • De la Rubia Ortí, J. E., García-Pardo, M. P., Iranzo, C. C., Madrigal, J. J. C., Castillo, S. S., Rochina, M. J., and Gascó, V. J. P. (2018). Does music therapy improve anxiety and depression in alzheimer's patients?. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 24(1), 33-36.
  • Dilek, F., and Ünal, A. (2023). Müzik terapi ve Alzheimer. Balkan Sağlık Bilimleri Dergisi, 2(3), 99–110.
  • Dileo, C. (2007). Music therapy and medicine: Theoretical and clinical applications. American Music Therapy Association.
  • Geretsegger, M., Elefant, C., Mössler, K. A., and Gold, C. (2014). Music therapy for people with autism spectrum disorder. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, (6), 1465-1858.
  • Gold, C., Voracek, M., and Wigram, T. (2004). Effects of music therapy for children and adolescents with psychopathology: a meta‐analysis. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 45(6), 1054-1063.
  • Güney, E., İşeri, E., Güvenç, O. R., Güvenç, A. A., Çırak, E., Çaycı Sivri, A. B., and Bahar, B. (2009). Otistik bozukluklu çocuklarda müzik terapisi. 19. Ulusal Çocuk ve Ergen Ruh Sağlığı ve Hastalıkları Kongresi, Türkiye.
  • Higgins, J. P., Thompson, S. G., Deeks, J. J., and Altman, D. G. (2003). Measuring inconsistency in meta-analyses. BMJ, 327(7414), 557–560.
  • Jacobsen, J. H., Stelzer, J., Fritz, T. H., Chetelat, G., and Turner, R. (2015). Why musical memory can be preserved in advanced Alzheimer’s disease. Brain, 138(8), 2438–2450.
  • Janzen, T. B., Koshimori, Y., Richard, N. M., & Thaut, M. H. (2021). Rhythm and music-based interventions in motor rehabilitation: Current evidence and future perspectives. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 15, 789467
  • Karadeniz, E. E. Ş. (2017). Demans - Alzheimer hastalarında farklı müzik terapi uygulamalarının zihinsel, psikolojik, anksiyete ve ajitasyon etkileri üzerine karşılaştırmalı çalışma. (Yayımlanmamış yüksek lisans tezi). Haliç Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü, İstanbul.
  • Kim, J., Wigram, T., and Gold, C. (2009). Emotional, motivational and interpersonal responsiveness of children with autism in improvisational music therapy. Autism, 13(4), 389–409.
  • Koelsch, S. (2014). Brain correlates of music-evoked emotions. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 15(3), 170–180.
  • Koelsch, S. (2009). A neuroscientific perspective on music therapy. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1169(1), 374–384.
  • Lim, H. A. (2010). Effect of “Developmental Speech and Language Training Through Music” on speech production in children with autism spectrum disorders. Journal of Music Therapy, 47(1), 2–26.
  • McDermott, O., Crellin, N., Ridder, H. M., and Orrell, M. (2013). Music therapy in dementia: A narrative synthesis systematic review. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 28(8), 781–794.
  • Moher, D., Liberati, A., Tetzlaff, J., Altman, D. G., and PRISMA Group. (2009). Preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses: The PRISMA statement. PLOS Medicine, 6(7), e1000097.
  • Nombela, C., Hughes, L. E., Owen, A. M., and Grahn, J. A. (2013). Into the groove: Can rhythm influence Parkinson’s disease?. Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews, 37(10), 2564–2570.
  • Overy, K., and Molnar-Szakacs, I. (2009). Being together in time: Musical experience and the mirror neuron system. Music Perception, 26(5), 489-504.
  • Öz, Z., and Akı, E. (2016). Parkinsonlu Bireylerde Müzik Eşliğinde Ritmik Hareket Tedavisinin Günlük Yaşam Aktivitelerindeki Bağımsızlık ve Aktivite Performansına Etkisi. Ergoterapi Ve Rehabilitasyon Dergisi, 4(1), 43-50.
  • Pacchetti, C., Mancini, F., Aglieri, R., Fundarò, C., Martignoni, E., and Nappi, G. (2000). Active music therapy in Parkinson's disease: An integrative method for motor and emotional rehabilitation. Psychosomatic Medicine, 62(3), 386–393.
  • Särkämö, T., Tervaniemi, M., Laitinen, S., Forsblom, A., Soinila, S., Mikkonen. … Peretz, I. (2013). Cognitive, emotional, and social benefits of regular musical activities in early dementia: Randomized controlled study. Gerontologist, 54(4), 634–650.
  • Satoh, M., Yuba, T., Tabei, K., Okubo, Y., Kida, H., Sakuma, H., and Tomimoto, H. (2015). Music therapy using singing training improves psychomotor speed in patients with Alzheimer’s disease: A neuropsychological and fMRI study. Dementia and Geriatric Cognitive Disorders Extra, 5(3), 296–308.
  • Thaut, M. H., and Hoemberg, V. (2014). Handbook of neurologic music therapy. Oxford University Press.
  • Thaut, M. H., McIntosh, G. C., and Rice, R. R. (1996). Rhythmic auditory stimulation in gait training for Parkinson's disease patients. Movement Disorders, 11(2), 193–200.
  • Thaut, M. H. (2005). Rhythm, music, and the brain: Scientific foundations and clinical applications. Routledge.
  • Van de Winckel, A., Feys, H., De Weerdt, W., and Dom, R. (2004). Cognitive and behavioral effects of music-based exercises in patients with dementia. Clinical rehabilitation, 18(3), 253-260.
  • Wheeler, B. L. (2015). Music therapy handbook. Guilford Publications.
  • Wigram, T., and Gold, C. (2006). Music therapy in the assessment and treatment of autistic spectrum disorder: Clinical application and research evidence. Child: Care, Health and Development, 32(5), 535–542.
  • Yurteri, N., and Akdemir, M. (2019). Otizm spektrum bozukluğu olan çocuklarda müzik terapinin otizm belirtileri ve yaşam kalitesine etkisi. Anadolu Psikiyatri Dergisi, 20(4), 436-441.

MÜZİK TERAPİSİNİN PARKİNSON HASTALIĞI, ALZHEİMER HASTALIĞI VE OTİZM SPEKTRUM BOZUKLUĞU ÜZERİNDEKİ ROLÜ

Year 2025, Volume: 8 Issue: 2, 693 - 716

Hande Tokgöz

https://doi.org/10.51576/ymd.1679195

Abstract

Müzik terapisi, çeşitli nörolojik bozukluklar için etkili ve invaziv olmayan bir müdahale yöntemi olarak giderek daha fazla kabul görmektedir. Bu meta-analitik inceleme, müzik terapisinin Parkinson hastalığı, Alzheimer hastalığı ve Otizm Spektrum Bozukluğu (OSB) üzerindeki etkilerini değerlendirmek amacıyla çeşitli klinik çalışmalardan elde edilen verileri analiz etmektedir. Çalışmanın odak noktası; bilişsel, duygusal ve fiziksel çıktılar ile terapötik etkilerin altında yatan mekanizmaların incelenmesidir. Bulgular, müzik terapisinin beynin nöroplastisite, duygusal tepki verme kapasitesi ve ritmik senkronizasyon gibi işlevlerinden yararlandığını ortaya koymaktadır. Parkinson hastalarında Ritmik İşitsel Uyarım (RAS) motor işlevleri, yürüme düzenini ve dengeyi iyileştirmektedir. Alzheimer hastalarında müzik, bellek geri çağırma, duygusal istikrar ve bakım veren yükünün azaltılmasına katkı sağlamaktadır. OSB tanılı bireylerde ise müzik terapisi, özellikle katılımcı yaklaşımlar aracılığıyla, sosyal etkileşim, duygusal düzenleme ve duyusal bütünleşmeyi desteklemektedir. Bu inceleme, müzik terapisinin geleneksel tedavi yöntemlerini tamamlayıcı bir rol oynadığını vurgulamaktadır. Bununla birlikte, mevcut çalışmalarda küçük örneklem büyüklükleri ve yöntemsel tutarsızlıklar gibi sınırlılıklar da dikkat çekmektedir. Uzunlamasına araştırmalara ve bireyselleştirilmiş, kültürel bağlama duyarlı yapay zekâ destekli terapi araçlarının geliştirilmesine duyulan ihtiyaç ön plana çıkarılmaktadır. Disiplinlerarası yapısı sayesinde müzik terapisi, nörolojik bozuklukların bütüncül yönetiminde önemli bir potansiyele sahiptir. Bu çalışma, mevcut bilimsel kanıtları bir araya getirerek hem klinik uygulamalara yönelik bir yol haritası sunmakta hem de gelecek araştırmalar için yönlendirici öneriler ortaya koymaktadır. Nihai hedef, hastaların ve bakım verenlerinin yaşam kalitesini artırmaktır.

Keywords

Alzheimer hastalığı Otizm Spektrum Bozukluğu (OSB) Müzik terapisi Nörolojik bozukluklar Parkinson hastalığı.

References

  • Boso, M., Emanuele, E., Minazzi, V., Abbamonte, M., and Politi, P. (2007). Effect of long-term interactive music therapy on behavior profile and musical skills in young adults with severe autism. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 13(7), 709–712.
  • Boso, M., Emanuele, E., Minoretti, P., Politi, P., and Barale, F. (2006). Neurophysiology and neurobiology of the musical experience. Functional Neurology, 21(4), 187–191.
  • Bruscia, K. E. (2014). Defining music therapy (3rd ed.). Barcelona Publishers.
  • Clair, A. A., and Bernstein, B. (1990). A preliminary study of music therapy programming for severely regressed persons with Alzheimer's Type dementia. Journal of Applied Gerontology, 9(3), 299–311.
  • Davis, W. B., Gfeller, K. E., and Thaut, M. H. (2008). An introduction to music therapy: Theory and practice. American Music Therapy Association.
  • De la Rubia Ortí, J. E., García-Pardo, M. P., Iranzo, C. C., Madrigal, J. J. C., Castillo, S. S., Rochina, M. J., and Gascó, V. J. P. (2018). Does music therapy improve anxiety and depression in alzheimer's patients?. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 24(1), 33-36.
  • Dilek, F., and Ünal, A. (2023). Müzik terapi ve Alzheimer. Balkan Sağlık Bilimleri Dergisi, 2(3), 99–110.
  • Dileo, C. (2007). Music therapy and medicine: Theoretical and clinical applications. American Music Therapy Association.
  • Geretsegger, M., Elefant, C., Mössler, K. A., and Gold, C. (2014). Music therapy for people with autism spectrum disorder. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, (6), 1465-1858.
  • Gold, C., Voracek, M., and Wigram, T. (2004). Effects of music therapy for children and adolescents with psychopathology: a meta‐analysis. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 45(6), 1054-1063.
  • Güney, E., İşeri, E., Güvenç, O. R., Güvenç, A. A., Çırak, E., Çaycı Sivri, A. B., and Bahar, B. (2009). Otistik bozukluklu çocuklarda müzik terapisi. 19. Ulusal Çocuk ve Ergen Ruh Sağlığı ve Hastalıkları Kongresi, Türkiye.
  • Higgins, J. P., Thompson, S. G., Deeks, J. J., and Altman, D. G. (2003). Measuring inconsistency in meta-analyses. BMJ, 327(7414), 557–560.
  • Jacobsen, J. H., Stelzer, J., Fritz, T. H., Chetelat, G., and Turner, R. (2015). Why musical memory can be preserved in advanced Alzheimer’s disease. Brain, 138(8), 2438–2450.
  • Janzen, T. B., Koshimori, Y., Richard, N. M., & Thaut, M. H. (2021). Rhythm and music-based interventions in motor rehabilitation: Current evidence and future perspectives. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 15, 789467
  • Karadeniz, E. E. Ş. (2017). Demans - Alzheimer hastalarında farklı müzik terapi uygulamalarının zihinsel, psikolojik, anksiyete ve ajitasyon etkileri üzerine karşılaştırmalı çalışma. (Yayımlanmamış yüksek lisans tezi). Haliç Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü, İstanbul.
  • Kim, J., Wigram, T., and Gold, C. (2009). Emotional, motivational and interpersonal responsiveness of children with autism in improvisational music therapy. Autism, 13(4), 389–409.
  • Koelsch, S. (2014). Brain correlates of music-evoked emotions. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 15(3), 170–180.
  • Koelsch, S. (2009). A neuroscientific perspective on music therapy. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1169(1), 374–384.
  • Lim, H. A. (2010). Effect of “Developmental Speech and Language Training Through Music” on speech production in children with autism spectrum disorders. Journal of Music Therapy, 47(1), 2–26.
  • McDermott, O., Crellin, N., Ridder, H. M., and Orrell, M. (2013). Music therapy in dementia: A narrative synthesis systematic review. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 28(8), 781–794.
  • Moher, D., Liberati, A., Tetzlaff, J., Altman, D. G., and PRISMA Group. (2009). Preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses: The PRISMA statement. PLOS Medicine, 6(7), e1000097.
  • Nombela, C., Hughes, L. E., Owen, A. M., and Grahn, J. A. (2013). Into the groove: Can rhythm influence Parkinson’s disease?. Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews, 37(10), 2564–2570.
  • Overy, K., and Molnar-Szakacs, I. (2009). Being together in time: Musical experience and the mirror neuron system. Music Perception, 26(5), 489-504.
  • Öz, Z., and Akı, E. (2016). Parkinsonlu Bireylerde Müzik Eşliğinde Ritmik Hareket Tedavisinin Günlük Yaşam Aktivitelerindeki Bağımsızlık ve Aktivite Performansına Etkisi. Ergoterapi Ve Rehabilitasyon Dergisi, 4(1), 43-50.
  • Pacchetti, C., Mancini, F., Aglieri, R., Fundarò, C., Martignoni, E., and Nappi, G. (2000). Active music therapy in Parkinson's disease: An integrative method for motor and emotional rehabilitation. Psychosomatic Medicine, 62(3), 386–393.
  • Särkämö, T., Tervaniemi, M., Laitinen, S., Forsblom, A., Soinila, S., Mikkonen. … Peretz, I. (2013). Cognitive, emotional, and social benefits of regular musical activities in early dementia: Randomized controlled study. Gerontologist, 54(4), 634–650.
  • Satoh, M., Yuba, T., Tabei, K., Okubo, Y., Kida, H., Sakuma, H., and Tomimoto, H. (2015). Music therapy using singing training improves psychomotor speed in patients with Alzheimer’s disease: A neuropsychological and fMRI study. Dementia and Geriatric Cognitive Disorders Extra, 5(3), 296–308.
  • Thaut, M. H., and Hoemberg, V. (2014). Handbook of neurologic music therapy. Oxford University Press.
  • Thaut, M. H., McIntosh, G. C., and Rice, R. R. (1996). Rhythmic auditory stimulation in gait training for Parkinson's disease patients. Movement Disorders, 11(2), 193–200.
  • Thaut, M. H. (2005). Rhythm, music, and the brain: Scientific foundations and clinical applications. Routledge.
  • Van de Winckel, A., Feys, H., De Weerdt, W., and Dom, R. (2004). Cognitive and behavioral effects of music-based exercises in patients with dementia. Clinical rehabilitation, 18(3), 253-260.
  • Wheeler, B. L. (2015). Music therapy handbook. Guilford Publications.
  • Wigram, T., and Gold, C. (2006). Music therapy in the assessment and treatment of autistic spectrum disorder: Clinical application and research evidence. Child: Care, Health and Development, 32(5), 535–542.
  • Yurteri, N., and Akdemir, M. (2019). Otizm spektrum bozukluğu olan çocuklarda müzik terapinin otizm belirtileri ve yaşam kalitesine etkisi. Anadolu Psikiyatri Dergisi, 20(4), 436-441.
There are 34 citations in total.

Details

Primary Language English
Subjects Music (Other)
Journal Section Research Articles
Authors

Hande Tokgöz 0009-0003-8339-178X

Early Pub Date May 31, 2025
Publication Date
Submission Date April 18, 2025
Acceptance Date May 28, 2025
Published in Issue Year 2025 Volume: 8 Issue: 2

Cite

APA Tokgöz, H. (2025). THE ROLE OF MUSIC THERAPY IN PARKINSON’S DISEASE, ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE, AND AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER. Yegah Müzikoloji Dergisi, 8(2), 693-716. https://doi.org/10.51576/ymd.1679195