Melbourne Conservatorium of Music - Research Publications
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ItemThe MT-VR Solution: A Novel Telehealth Approach to Delivering Online Group Singing Therapy for People with Quadriplegia(World Federation of Music Therapy, 2020)People living with quadriplegia are disproportionately rurally and regionally located, at high risk for social isolation, and face numerous barriers to accessing music therapy (MT). They also face significant risk of illness due to paralysis of the primary breathing muscles. Face-to-face group singing therapy can improve breathing, voice, mood, and social connectedness for people with quadriplegia (Tamplin et al 2013). Online delivery of group singing interventions may be a viable solution to improve access, however latency is a significant barrier to synchronous music performance over the Internet. Our research group has been working to find an acceptable solution to this issue, with implications for MT practise more widely due to the current high demand for telehealth MT solutions due to COVID-19.
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ItemNo Preview AvailableEmpowering Caregivers of People Living with Dementia to Use Music Therapeutically at Home: Design Opportunities(ACM, 2020-12-02)Human-computer interaction researchers have explored how to design technologies to support people with dementia (PwD) and their caregivers, but limited attention has been given to how to facilitate music therapy in dementia care. The use of music to help manage the symptoms of dementia is often guided by a music therapist who adapts the intervention to respond to the changing needs of the person living with dementia. However, as the incidence of dementia increases worldwide, individualised therapy programs are less feasible, making it valuable to consider technology-based approaches. In this paper, we analyze data from case studies of home-based music therapy training interventions with two families. The findings show that embodied interactions supported the therapist in responding to the needs of the PwD and built an empathic environment that empowered the caregivers' learning. We discuss opportunities and challenges for designing technologies that support family caregivers' therapy-informed music use in dementia care.
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ItemEfficacy of Parkinsong Groups for improving Communication and Wellbeing in Parkinson's Disease(World Federation of Music Therapy, 2017)Communication impairment is one of the most common symptoms of Parkinson’s disease, significantly impacting quality of life (Miller, 2012). Speech characteristics may include a soft, monotone, breathy or hoarse voice quality, imprecise articulation, dysprosody and dysfluency (Skodda et al., 2013). These characteristics, combined with reduced nonverbal communication, cognitive-linguistic impairment and poor self-perception of speech, make communication difficult and lead to self-consciousness, reduced likelihood to participate in conversation, and the avoidance of social interaction that requires speaking. Communication difficulties can compound issues of depression and related social isolation (Miller et al., 2006).
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ItemMusic interventions for acquired brain injury: Findings from an updated Cochrane review(The Australasian Society for the Study of Brain Impairment, 2017-06-01)Background and aims: This Cochrane review update examined the effects of music interventions and standard care versus standard care alone or standard care combined with other therapies for adults with non- degenerative acquired brain injury (ABI). Primary outcomes were gait and upper extremity function. Secondary outcomes were communication, cognition, mood and emotions, social skills, pain, behavioral outcomes, activities of daily living, and adverse events. Method: We searched electronic databases, dissertation and specialist music databases, and hand-searched grey literature. All randomised controlled and controlled clinical trials with quasi-randomised or systematic methods of treatment allocation were included, in any language, published and unpublished. Results: We included 29 trials with 775 participants. Meta- analyses indicated that music interventions may improve gait velocity, stride length (affected side), gait cadence, stride symmetry, general gait, and timing of upper extremity function. Using a rhythmic auditory stimulus embedded in music may lead to greater improvements in gait velocity than using rhythmic auditory stimulus without music e.g. metronome. Interventions delivered by a credentialed music therapist generated greater improvements than interventions delivered by other professionals. Music interventions may also improve quality of life and overall communication with beneficial effects in naming and repetition. Conclusions: Rhythm-based interventions remain important for movement rehabilitation in ABI. Future research should examine music intervention effects on cognition. Measures used for mood outcomes require greater uniformity and improved reporting. Across all domains, improved agreement on the core outcomes examined will enable more comprehensive meta-analyses and more accurate evaluation of the effectiveness of music interventions.
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ItemMusical memories: Connecting people with dementia and their caregivers through song.(World Federation of Music Therapy, 2017)Active music participation may offer benefits for people with dementia (PWD) and their family care givers (FCG) living in the community (Baird & Samson, 2015). For the PWD, this capacity to respond to music-making activities, such as singing, may facilitate reminiscence and successful social engagement (Vanstone & Cuddy, 2010). As a consequence, FCG may experience meaningful and satisfying connection with their loved one (Baker, Grocke & Pachana, 2012). Receptive music listening interventions may also assist with the management of challenging symptoms of dementia, such as agitation and anxiety, offering FCG strategies to use in the home.