Effects of Group Drumming Communication Program on Cognitive Function in Older Adults with Dementia in Special Elderly Nursing Home

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K15363
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Epidemiology and preventive medicine
• Research Institution: Institute of Physical and Chemical Research
• Principal Investigator: Miyazaki Atsuko 国立研究開発法人理化学研究所, イノベーション推進センター, 研究員 (30771521)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): NOUCHI Rui 東北大学, 加齢医学研究所, 准教授 (50569580) ; ICHIKI Masahiko 東京医科大学, 精神科, 准教授 (80348515)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: 認知機能改善効果 / 運動機能改善効果 / 介入実験 / 関節可動域 / 加速度センサー / ドラム（打楽器） / 特別養護老人ホーム / リハビリテーション

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The Drumming Communication Program could be carried out for three months at a special nursing home for the elderly requiring high nursing care level. Participants with dementia have difficulty in imitating commands and gestures necessary for exercise therapy and programs. However, they were able to exercise with drums by using their rhythm response function. The intervention group showed improvement in their cognitive functions in both the MMSE and FAB scores. As for motor functions, the intervention group showed improvement in their shoulder and wrist flexion. The causal relationship between the declines in the cognitive and physical functions is bi-directional. Exercise intervention by drums not only affected motor functions but also cognitive functions as well.
We propose a new rehabilitation program based on group drumming to improve cognitive and motor functions, for patients with dementia and other debilitating diseases who have rhythm response capability.

Free Research Field

認知脳科学・リハビリテーション学