title: Investigating the enhancing effect of music on autobiographical memory in mild Alzheimer's disease.
abstract: The enhancing effect of music on autobiographical memory recall in mild Alzheimer's disease individuals (n = 10; Mini-Mental State Examination score >17/30) and healthy elderly matched individuals (n = 10; Mini-Mental State Examination score 25-30) was investigated. Using a repeated-measures design, each participant was seen on two occasions: once in music condition (Vivaldi's 'Spring' movement from 'The Four Seasons') and once in silence condition, with order counterbalanced. Considerable improvement was found for Alzheimer individuals' recall on the Autobiographical Memory Interview in the music condition, with an interaction for condition by group (p < 0.005). There were no differences in terms of overall arousal using galvanic skin response recordings or attentional errors during the Sustained Attention to Response Task. A significant reduction in state anxiety was found on the State Trait Anxiety Inventory in the music condition (p < 0.001), suggesting anxiety reduction as a potential mechanism underlying the enhancing effect of music on autobiographical memory recall.
authors.affiliation: Mercer's Institute for Research on Ageing, St. James's Hospital, Dublin, Ireland. irishmu@tcd.ie
authors.forename: Muireann
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Irish
authors.forename: Conal J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Cunningham
authors.forename: J Bernard
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Walsh
authors.forename: Davis
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Coakley
authors.forename: Brian A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Lawlor
authors.forename: Ian H
authors.initials: IH
authors.lastname: Robertson
authors.forename: Robert F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Coen
mesh_terms: D000161:Acoustic Stimulation; D000368:Aged; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000523:psychology*; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001007:Anxiety / Q000523:psychology; D001143:Arousal / Q000502:physiology; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D005712:Galvanic Skin Response / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory / Q000502:physiology*; D011939:Mental Recall / Q000502:physiology; D009146:Music / Q000523:psychology*; D009147:Music Therapy; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology