Abstract
Positive effects after neurologic music therapy (NMT) have been described regarding the motor function of children with severe cerebral palsy (CP). This study aimed to quantify improvements in participation, as well as complexity on task-related manual activities in children with severe bilateral CP. This analytic quasi-experimental study exposed 17 children with severe cerebral palsy to 13 NMT sessions to improve motor learning through therapeutic instrumental music performance (TIMP), using principally percussion musical instruments. Hoisan software video recording was used to quantify participation involved in creating music. In addition, the number of active movements performed in each NMT session was quantified. Significant improvements were found in the participation variables “visual contact,” “motor participation” and “motor participation repetitions.” Significant differences were also found in the subcategory “reaching and stroke,” “hitting with the hand” and “grasping and hitting.” The use of therapeutic of TIMP in children with severe CP improves participation during manual activities utilizing percussion instruments, therefore increasing the intensity of the psychomotor intervention.
Highlights
Improvements in gross motor function [1, 2] and gait [3, 4] in children with moderate cerebral palsy (CP) have been described after implementing neurologic music therapy (NMT) techniques [5]
Functionality have an important role to categorize cerebral palsy into different functional levels and these children were classified within Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS-E&R=IV-V) [7], with severely limited manual ability [Manual Ability Classification System (MACS)=IV-V] according to Eliasson et al [8], and severe impairment according to the Communication Function Classification System (CFCS) as stated by Cooley Hidecker et al [9]
Significant differences after the NMT intervention program were found in the variables “visual contact” (p < 0.0005), “motor participation” (p < 0.0005) and “repetition/number of motor participations” (p < 0.004)
Summary
Improvements in gross motor function [1, 2] and gait [3, 4] in children with moderate cerebral palsy (CP) have been described after implementing neurologic music therapy (NMT) techniques [5]. These results were observed after using therapeutic instrumental music performance (TIMP) and clinical improvisation in children with a poor gross motor, manual and communication skills [6]. Musical listening and active movement could facilitate the priming of the neural processes of entrainment. This combination has shown positive results during NMT techniques, including Rhythmic Auditory Stimulaiton [18]. TIMP facilitates a higher temporal processing because the patients move synchronically with the sensorial rhythm and take part on production of the music pattern [5]
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