Describing the Subtle Factors That Influence Moments of Interactive Responses During Music Therapy Sessions For People With Late-Stage Alzheimer’s Disease and Other Related Major Neurocognitive Disorders: A Multiple Case Study

The purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to describe moments of response and their triggers in individual music therapy sessions for three older adults with late-stage Alzheimer’s disease and related major neurocognitive disorders in a long-term care setting. The participants in this study were three women from 87-92 years of age who lived in a local skilled nursing facility, had a diagnosis of late-stage dementia, and were considered to be minimally responsive to environmental cues by staff. Individual music therapy sessions were implemented in each participant’s room for approximately 30 minutes twice a week for six weeks. Participant responses were captured through video recording, narrative notes, and coding of dominant awareness state for each session according to the classification of behavior states developed by Wolff (1959). The investigator found that although all the participants showed varying levels of responsiveness, they all responded to session factors in each session including the environment, music, and interaction with the music therapist. The implications of the results are discussed in regards to varying functional, environmental, musical, and emotional awareness of individuals with advanced neurocognitive disorders.