The Effects of Multisensory Music Experience on Sundowning Symptoms in Adults Diagnosed with Dementia
Abstract
The objective of this study was to determine if multisensory music listening had a greater impact on the sundowning symptoms of adults with dementia than non-multisensory music listening. The participants were selected from an adult day center specializing in care for adults with dementia in Indianapolis, Indiana. Twelve participants completed the study with an average age of 83.6 and an average Mini-Mental State Examination score of 9.5. Multisensory sessions were completed by having the experimenter tap along to the music on the participant’s hand/arm. The participant’s sundowning symptoms (calm/agitated, confused/clear, repetitive/flexible, etc.) were rated with a listening log before and after music listening for comparison. There was no statistically significant difference found between the multi-sensory music listening and non-multisensory music listening. In the future, we would recommend repeating the study with a greater number of participants and a greater number of trials in order to determine if there is any difference.