Frontal lobe neurodegeneration - Use of songs in the music therapy setting

When the frontal lobes are damaged by neurodegeneration certain qualities of psychosocial functioning are changed. The person might show lack of initiative, poor social judgment, and loss of personal and social awareness. When these symptoms co-occur with other cortical degeneration (e.g. in vascular or frontotemporal dementia) it is difficult to avoid secondary symptoms of the brain damage that is caused by missing communicative abilities and difficulties in fulfilment of psychosocial needs. Songs are used to build up the music therapy setting with this client group. The songs function as cues, are used to regulate arousal level, and offer a potential to enter dialogue with the client in a way that makes it possible to meet psychosocial needs, thus reducing secondary symptoms of the degeneration. The different ways of using the songs in the setting, will be illustrated with case examples and video clips. Results from research will be integrated.