Music therapy‐induced changes in behavioral evaluations, and saliva chromogranin A and immunoglobulin A concentrations in elderly patients with senile dementia

Abstract

Objective: To clarify music therapy‐induced changes in behavioral evaluations, and saliva chromogranin A and immunoglobulin A concentrations in elderly patients with senile dementia. Methods: A music therapy group consisting of 8 elderly patients with dementia and a control group including eight similarly matched patients received a total of 25 1‐h sessions of music therapy that were conducted twice weekly for 3 months. The Gottfries–Brane–Steen Scale, and the Behavioral Pathology in Alzheimer’s Disease Rating Scale were used to evaluate behavioral changes. Saliva chromogranin A and immunoglobulin A were used to assess changes in stress and immunological status, respectively. Results: On the Gottfries–Brane–Steen Scale, the mean score for “different symptoms common in dementia” improved significantly after music therapy. The mean Behavioral Pathology in Alzheimer’s Disease Rating Scale score for “paranoid and delusional ideation” also significantly improved ( P < 0.05) after the intervention. While immunoglobulin A was slightly increased prior to intervention, at the 25th session, mean chromogranin A was significantly decreased ( P < 0.05). Conclusion: In this study, the Gottfries–Brane–Steen Scale, the Behavior Pathology in Alzheimer’s Disease Rating Scale, and immunoglobulin A concentrations were shown to have been affected by music therapy. However, as the number of subjects was small, further research is required in order to fully clarify the effects of music therapy.