La musicoterapia nelle demenze e in altri ambiti neurologici: dalle premesse scientifiche alla "Evidence Based Music Therapy"

Music therapy can be considered one of the most significant non-pharmacological interventions in the neurological diseases. In the first part the dissertation delves into specific contents of music therapy and focuses on scientific bases of the discipline describing its clinical practices. Both active and receptive approaches with music are described distinguishing their contents, aims and different practices. In the second part the dissertation includes the research projects carried out during the Doctoral Program and a summary of the published scientific articles. Research activity was made mainly in the field of dementia and concerned in particular the efficacy of active music therapy approach on Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms in Dementia. Other reported studies concerned research projects on the stroke (in particular on the language impairment deriving from the disease), disorders of consciousness, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and Parkinson’s disease. The last study presented in the dissertation refers to the use of fMRI in the field of music therapy. This neuroscientific approach can be considered an important possibilty to assess the effects of music therapy and to explain its underlined therapeutic mechanisms. The studies shared a rigorous scientific methodology (much of those were randomized controlled trials) and reflected the possibility to apply the evidence-based approach also in the field of music therapy (Evidence Based Music Therapy). The dissertation presents a course of research that, starting from scientific bases of music therapy and going through the clinical practice, has developed a strong methodological approach to prove possible therapeutic/rehabilitative effects of music in the field of neurology.