Music therapy-induced changes in behavioral evaluations, and saliva chromogranin A and immunoglobulin A concentrations in elderly patients with senile dementia

Objective: To clarify music therapy-induced changes in behavioral evaluations, and saliva chromogranin A and immunoglobulin A concentrations in elderly patients with senile dementia. Methods: A music therapy group consisting of 8 elderly patients with dementia and a control group including eight similarly matched patients received a total of 25 1-h sessions of music therapy that were conducted twice weekly for 3 months. The Gottfries–Brane–Steen Scale, and the Behavioral Pathology in Alzheimer’s Disease Rating Scale were used to evaluate behavioral changes. Saliva chromogranin A and immunoglobulin A were used to assess changes in stress and immunological status, respectively. Results: On the Gottfries–Brane–Steen Scale, the mean score for “different symptoms common in dementia” improved significantly after music therapy. The mean Behavioral Pathology in Alzheimer’s Disease Rating Scale score for “paranoid and delusional ideation” also significantly improved (P