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Theses and Dissertations

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Browsing Theses and Dissertations by Subject "attention"

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    The effects of musical attention control training on attentional impairments of schizophrenia
    (Colorado State University. Libraries, 2018) Doty, Lindsey A., author; LaGasse, Blythe, advisor; Knight, Andrew, committee member; Hughes, Shannon, committee member
    Schizophrenia is a severe mental illness characterized by complex symptomatology and disabling psychotic symptoms including disturbing hallucinations and bizarre delusional ideation. Individuals with chronic schizophrenia also experience impairment of cognition. The impact of impaired cognitive functioning is significant in individuals with schizophrenia. Cognitive deficits such as attentional impairments are likely to persist even after treatment with medication and may be the primary cause of negative emotion, social dysfunction, and the inability to attain full and functional recovery. While research indicates that remediation of attentional impairments is difficult but possible, little is known about which methods of remediation are most effective. Music therapy has been determined to be a cost-effective and successful means of decreasing negative symptoms, psychosocial deficits, and promoting improvements in executive function related to schizophrenia. Additionally, some research indicates it may be effective in remediation of attentional impairment. Musical Attention Control Training (MACT) is a specific music therapy protocol which has been utilized to effectively train attention after traumatic brain injury, stroke, as well as with autism and dementia, and is thought to be likely to be helpful with other neurological disorders including schizophrenia. However, a limited amount of research has been published regarding the efficacy of therapeutic music in treating attention, and no research yet exists exploring the potential effect of MACT with individuals with schizophrenia. The purpose of this study was to gather initial data regarding the efficacy of MACT in improving attentional deficits of persons with schizophrenia through a pre- and post-test design. In addition, the researcher sought to answer the following research questions: 1) what are the effects of MACT on the attentional impairments of schizophrenia and 2) how do these structured therapeutic music experiences impact individual outlook and perception of the recovery process. Participants in this study were male adults with schizophrenia recruited from three forensic units of an inpatient psychiatric facility and who were randomly assigned to one of two groups: an experimental group (MACT, n = 9) and a control group (Treatment as Usual, n = 10). Participants assigned to the experimental group participated in five 30-minutes sessions occurring over a period of five consecutive days. Music interventions include structured improvisational and receptive exercises designed to target sustained attention. Data were collected both pre- and post-intervention through a questionnaire prepared by the researcher as well as through administration of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) by a licensed psychologist. An independent t-test of difference scores was conducted to compare the effect of MACT on attention. The results indicated no significant result of music on attention at the p < .05 level for the two conditions. Findings and application for future research is discussed.