Introduction of Music Therapy Incorporated into Cognitive Remediation: A New Approach to Cognitive Dysfunction in Psychiatric Disorders and a Preliminary Report on Its Effects in Schizophrenia

Abstract

Aim: Cognitive dysfunction and negative symptoms interfere social participation in patients with schizophrenia. Cognitive remediation has proven effective for cognitive deficits. While there are few effective treatments for the negative symptoms of schizophrenia, music therapy is expected to ameliorate negative symptoms. With the goal of improving both cognitive dysfunction and negative symptoms, we originally developed a program of Music Therapy incorporated into Cognitive Remediation (MTCR). We introduce the MTCR program and our preliminary results of conducting MTCR in patients with schizophrenia. Methods: The program was based on the NEAR (neuropsychological educational approach to cognitive remediation) program. The MTCR program uses instrumental performances and ensemble vocal performances to train cognitive functions, which consists of 30 sessions in total, with each session being 60 minutes long (45 minutes of music, 15 minutes of verbal session). The participants attended sessions semiweekly in groups of fewer than 12 members. We measured the participants' symptoms twice, before the intervention and after the final session. For both measurements, we used the BACS and BPRS. Thirty-six individuals (26 men, 10 women; average age of 42.4 years) with schizophrenia participated in this study. They participated in an average of 28.2 sessions. Results: BACS total scores (p < 0.05), "verbal fluency" (p < 0.01) and "attention" (p < 0.02