Exploring Music-based Cognitive Rehabilitation Following Acquired Brain Injury: A Randomized Control Trail Comparing Attention Process Training and Musical Attention Control Training

Cognitive impairment is the most common sequelae following an acquired brain injury (ABI) and results in significant impact on the individual’s potential for rehabilitation, functional independence, and on their quality of life. Because of the recently emerging evidence of the influence of music on brain function, music may serve as a unique and powerful cognitive rehabilitation tool following ABI. Although the research literature supports a rationale for music-based cognitive rehabilitation, there is a limited number of experimental studies investigating the clinical benefits of music-based cognitive rehabilitation. This study used a Randomized Control Trial. The control group participated in three standardized attention training sessions: Attention Process Training (APT) (Sohlberg Mateer, 2001). The experimental group participated in three Neurologic Music Therapy (Thaut Hoemberg, 2014) sessions using a standardized intervention: Music Attention Control Training (MACT). Pre-and post- testing used standard neuropsychological tests included Trail Making A B, Digit Symbol, and the Brown-Peterson Task. No significant difference was found within or between the groups for Trail A Test, Digit Symbol, or Brown-Peterson Task. The MACT group showed a statistically significant improvement (p=0.4) on the Trail B in contrast to the APT group when using paired t-tests to compare pre- versus post-test. However, a repeated measures ANOVA analysis for Trail B did not support statistically significant findings between the two conditions (p=0.051). The mean difference time between pre- and post-test showed no significant difference between APT and MACT using a two-sample t-test. However, a non-parametric follow-up test (Mann Whitney) (p=0.029) indicated significant differences in favor of MACT. Therefore, close significance values and partial evidence from nonparametric testing suggest only mixed support or potential trends in favor of MACT over APT. Although MACT outcomes performed comparable to the well established attention training technique of APT, further research with a larger sample size and more statistical power is needed to investigate specific benefits of MACT to improve attention.

Department dc:contributor.department

Music

Year dc:date.issued

2018

Author dc:creator

• Jones, Cheryl

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Thaut, Michael H

• acquired brain injury
• attention
• Attention Process Training
• cognitive impairment
• Musical Attention Control Training
• music-based cognitive rehabilitation

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/1807/89695

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:utoronto.scholaris.ca:1807/89695