The Role of Therapeutic Instrumental Music Performance in Hemiparetic Arm Rehabilitation

This study describes the clinical application of Therapeutic Instrumental Music Performance (TIMP) on functional upper extremity movement in stroke patients. Participants for this study included 3 post-stroke outpatients showing pronounced hemiparesis in their upper extremities. Participants underwent six, 35-minute music therapy sessions in which they received training in flexion and extension exercises of their paretic arm using a Roland TD-5 Percussion Sound Module Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI) drum set for TIMP exercises. Functional arm movements were assessed in the pretest and posttest using the Barthel Index, the Fugl-Meyer Test, and the Modified Ashworth Scale. MIDI data on total movement time, variability of movement time, and force were also collected during the pretest and posttest as well as at the halfway point of the treatment program. Results indicated significant improvements on the wrist and hand portion of the Fugl-Meyer Test (t = 5, p = .0377), and MIDI data showed observable improvements throughout the treatment period. These findings suggest that the addition of Neurologic Music Therapy to current rehabilitation training programs is possible and may prove beneficial in rehabilitation practices addressing functional arm movements in stroke patients.