Essay - The Use of Music Therapy in the Care of Patients...

The Use of Music Therapy in the Care of Patients with Alzheimer's Disease/dementia: A Review of Related Literature

Review*****g the literature is something that is very important, because any researcher should spend time looking at ***** works of others and what has been done in the past to gain further understanding of what should be ***** in the future. Several articles regarding music therapy for dementia patients will therefore be addressed here in order to facilitate a higher understanding ***** how this kind of therapy (and other alternative therapies) can help these ***** and dementia patients to have a ***** quality ***** life.

***** method for the study mentioned in the proposal ***** conducted by Rem*****gton (2002) exposed these individuals to either music, massage, or both for 10 minutes at a time in order to see whether it affected the dementia *****' *****havior and whether the effect lasted after ***** tre*****ment or therapy had ended (Remington, 2002). *****s was noted, the results of the ***** indicated ***** nonphysical aggressiveness did decrease somewhat during and after the treatments, but that combining ***** music and the ***** had no greater effect than simply using one or ***** other of the therapies on the patient studied (Remingt*****, 2002).

As f***** those *****s that were involved in physically aggressive behavior, however, none of the *****rapies used appeared to ***** any signifi*****t impact on reducing this type of ***** (*****on, 2002). It *****med as though only the ***** behavior was helped by ***** music or the massage ***** these dementia patients were subjected to. While this may be a signific*****nt finding, studies have not yet been ***** that are able to determine why this ***** be the case, and it is hoped that this will be an area of interest in ***** future.

The study conducted by Remington (2002), however, and the ***** studies ***** were mentioned in *****, are not the only studies of this kind when it comes to Alzheimer's ***** dementia and the use of music therapy. Unfortunately, however, there have been ***** few studies undertaken that use ***** therapy as one of their ***** therapies for dementia (Harlan, 1993). There are studies in***** other alternative ***** for *****, ***** precious few that deal w*****h music, art, or ***** *****s of therapies. This is troubl*****g, ***** indicates a l*****rge gap in the available literature which should be filled. There *****, however, very strong indications in ***** studies that have ***** conducted which allude to the fact that ***** *****, as well ***** art therapy and other alternative avenues, ***** very helpful in the care and treatment of patients suffer*****g from Alzheimer's ***** dementia (Bonder, 1994).

***** individuals begin their struggle with dementia, changes may ***** be that obvious early on. Slowly, however, loved *****es and ********** ***** ***** to notice a decline in the sufferer's cognitive abilities, and behavioral changes ***** take place as well; ***** aggressive or non-aggressive behavi***** problems are usually seen (Tobiansky, 1994). For example, some ***** may begin