Improvised active music therapy for clients with Parkinson’s disease: A feasibility study

The purpose of this study was to test the feasibility of delivering Improvised Active Music Therapy sessions in measuring the impact of acquisition of rhythmic complexity levels on gait performance in individuals with Parkinson’s disease. In this single subject multiple baseline design, the study measured the ability of three right-handed participants with Parkinson’s disease to acquire greater density of syncopation, as a measure of rhythmic complexity levels, while playing uninterrupted improvised music on a simplified electronic drum-set. The music content of the sessions was transformed into digital music data in real-time using Musical Instrument Digital Interface. The Musical Instrument Digital Interface data were analyzed to determine the participants’ and the Music Therapist’s density of syncopation (on acoustic guitar) during baseline and treatment conditions. Results from visual analyses and Pearson’s correlations on the outcomes indicated conflicting and inconclusive outcomes about whether higher acquisition of rhythmic complexity levels improves gait performance in individuals with Parkinson’s disease. Despite this, evidence was found to support the overall value of Improvised Active Music Therapy sessions on gait performance. The study design, the intervention, and outcome measures were found to be feasible and could be scaled-up into a larger trial.