title: Assessing a cognitive music training for older participants: a randomised controlled trial.
abstract: In a randomised controlled trial, we investigated whether a cognitive training based on rhythm-music and music improvisation exercises had positive effects on executive functions in older participants.
  
  
  
  Thirty-five residents in a guest home with mild-moderate cognitive impairment and healthy ageing were randomly assigned to an experimental group (n = 18) featuring cognitive music training composed of 12 bi-weekly 70-min sessions, and a control group (n = 17) attended 12 bi-weekly 45-min sessions of gymnastic activities offered by the institute. A neuropsychological test battery was administered at baseline and at the end of treatment, including the Mini-Mental State Examination, verbal fluency test, Trail Making Test A, attentional matrices test and clock-drawing test.
  
  
  
  Pre-test and post-test comparison showed a significant improvement for the experimental group reflected in the Mini-Mental State Examination (F(1,33) = 13.906; p < 0.001; pη2= 0.296), verbal fluency test (VFL) (F(1,33) = 6.816; p < 0.013; pη2= 0.171), and clock-drawing test (F(1,29) = 16.744; p < 0.001; pη2= 0.366), while the control group did not show any significant improvements. In addition, there was a tendency towards significance for the Trail Making Test A (F(1,20) = 3.268; p < 0.086; pη2= 0.140). Regarding the attentional matrices test, no significant differences were found for the experimental group (F(1,29) = 2.833; p < 0.103; pη2= 0.089), while the control group had a significant performance reduction (F(1,29) = 3.947; p < 0.050; pη2= 0.120).
  
  
  
  The use of a cognitive protocol based on music-rhythmic exercises and music improvisation exercises is associated with improved cognitive functions in older people with mild-moderate cognitive impairment regardless of the individual's degree of cognitive reserve. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
authors.affiliation: Department of Philosophy, Sociology, Education and Applied Psychology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy.
authors.forename: Michele
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-7784-4258
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Biasutti
authors.affiliation: Department of Philosophy, Sociology, Education and Applied Psychology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy.
authors.forename: Anthony
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mangiacotti
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology; D010054:Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D060825:Cognitive Dysfunction / Q000628:therapy; D056344:Executive Function / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009147:Music Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D014145:Trail Making Test
keywords: attention; cognitive impairment; executive functions; rehabilitation