When speaking with graduate students and colleagues, I have received more emails and questions about this topic than any other topic related to music therapy. Does Auditory Integration Therapy (AIT) work? Is AIT a form of music therapy? What is AIT??? A cochrane review may answer some of these questions! Continue reading
MTRB Podcast #2
We discuss three articles, here are the citations below. We also recommend another music therapy podcast, called The Roundtable, put together by some friends of ours. We finish up by previewing the International Conference of Music Perception and Cognition that we will both attend next week in Seattle, WA, USA. Blythe is presenting on neurologic music therapy and I have NO obligations/committees, etc. so I can attend whatever I want (or throw fish at a market or visit the Jimi Hendrix museum). We’ll tweet a hashtag for all of our tweets from the ICMPC conference soon as well.
1. Reichow, B. & Volkmar, F.R. (2010). Social skills interventions for individuals with autism: Evaluation for evidence-based practices within a best evidence synthesis framework. Journal of Autism and other Developmental Disorders, 40, 149-166.
2. Kim, J., Wigram, T., & Gold, C. (2008). The effects of improvisational music therapy on joint attention behaviors in autistic children: A randomized controlled study. Journal of Autism and other Developmental Disorders, 38, 1758-1766.
3. Pietschnig, J., Voracek, M., & Formann, A.K. (2010). Mozart effect-Schmozart effect: A meta-analysis. Intelligence, 38, 314-323.
Music Therapy Research Podcast #1
Our first podcast – this introduces us and our goals in podcasting about research in music therapy, cognition, and perception. Please comment and send us your thoughts and ideas!
Effect of Vibroacoustic Music on Behaviors in ASD
Music emits vibrations and some practitioners use these vibrations as therapy. A new study investigated the effect of music vibrations on the challenging behaviors of persons with Autism Spectrum Disorders and Developmental Disabilities. Continue reading
MT for Agitation in Older Adults with Dementia
As mentioned in recent Music Therapy Research Blog (MTRB) post, there has been an heightened focus on research for older adult populations, in part due to the impending increase in the number of older adults. In this MTRB mash-up we will take a look at current research in music therapy for agitation in older adults with dementia. Continue reading
Therapy Moment: Summer Treatment Camps!
Some of you may have noticed an absence in the stream of research reviews over the past week and a half. Although I don’t want to make this blog about me and what I’m doing, experiences from the past week.5 are driving me to do just that. Last week I was at Kris’ Camp and I’d like to tell you about the experience, since my 1st camp changed the way I practice music therapy. Continue reading
MT for Speech in Children with Speech Delay
Speech and language skills are crucial in development. A child’s communication abilities allow them to express their wants/need, develop relationships, and interact with their environment. A recent study looked at the effect of music therapy on the language skills of children with speech and language delay. Continue reading
Systematic Review Supports MT for Dementia
A recent research focus has been on degenerative disorders of older adulthood due to the impending growth of this population in the coming years. One area of interest is identifying cost-effective treatments that can help families and individuals cope with dementia. A new study identified three promising non-pharmaceutical treatments, one of which was music therapy. Continue reading
Music Listening in the ICU – Increase in Sedation
The experience of being in the ICU of a hospital could be extreemly stressful for the patient and family. Finding low-cost interventions that can reduce stress could be helpful in these situations. A recent study examined the effect of music listening on stress and anxiety levels in sedated patients who were on mechanical ventilation. Continue reading
Autism and Reward – Neurologically Speaking
Motivation is said to be greatest when driven by reward. When we feel a reward sensation we are more likely to repeat the behavior that lead to reward whether that be social interaction, earning money, response to food, learning, etc… There are known areas of the brain that are involved in reward responses and a recent study attempted to see what type of reward responses were present in children with autism when presented with social and monetary rewards. Continue reading