The effect of the severity of neurocognitive disorders on emotional and motor responses to music.

The successful design of musical interventions for dementia patients requires knowledge of how rhythmic abilities change with disease severity. In this study, we tested the impact of the severity of the neurocognitive disorders (NCD) on the socioemotional and motor responses to music in three groups of patients with Major NCD, Mild NCD, or No NCD. Patients were asked to tap to a metronomic or musical rhythm while facing a live musician or through a video.

Socio-emotional and motor engagement during musical activities in older adults with major neurocognitive impairment.

Although music therapy may engender clinical benefits in patients with neurodegenerative disease, the impacts of social and musical factors of such activities on socio-emotional and motor engagements are poorly understood. To address this issue, non-verbal behaviors of 97 patients with or without major cognitive impairment (CI) were assessed when listening to music or a metronome in front of a musician who was present physically (live) or virtually (video). Socio-emotional engagement was quantified as emotional facial expression production and gaze direction.

Does a Live Performance Impact Synchronization to Musical Rhythm in Cognitively Impaired Elderly?

Background: Music-based interventions appear to be efficient approaches to improve emotional, social, and cognitive functioning of patients with neurodegenerative diseases.

Objective: Because benefits seem to increase with patient's motor involvement, we studied sensorimotor synchronization (SMS) abilities of patients with cognitive impairments (Alzheimer's disease, vascular and mixed dementia) and of patients with no evidence of cognitive impairments. More specifically, we compared the impact of a live performance by a musician to a video recording on SMS.

[Sensorimotor synchronization and non-verbal behaviors in Alzheimer's disease: the influence of social and musical context].

Background: Considering the limited efficacy of pharmacological treatments, the use of musical interventions as non-drug treatment for patients with Alzheimer's disease are strongly recommended. Musical interventions seem to improve the socio-emotional and cognitive functioning of these patients, with benefits increasing when patients are engaged at the motor level.

Objective: Our study evaluates the factors that may influence patients' socio-emotional and motor engagement during musical activities, and measures their sensorimotor synchronization (SMS) abilities.