Correlation Between Music Therapist's and Stroke Patient's Engagement Levels and Patient's Fingers and Wrist Movement

Plain-language summary

Background: Fingers and wrist functional impairments are common among stroke patients. The patient's engagement, their therapist's engagement, and the patient-therapist interaction during therapy, contribute significantly towards better outcomes in rehabilitation. Music therapeutic interaction between patient and music therapist, which involves active music-making, can enhance a stroke patient's engagement and improve fingers and wrist movement of the affected hand. Study Objectives: 1. To assess the correlation between the therapist engagement's levels, patient engagement's levels, and patient's fingers and wrist movement. 2. To examine how the levels of patient and therapist engagement differ during music therapeutic interaction when compared with verbal interaction. 3. To determine if the changes to patients' fingers and wrist movement differ during a music therapeutic Interaction session when compared with a verbal interaction session. Methods: This feasibility pilot study will include 10 patients, with right-sided hemiparesis who will be recruited 1-6 months following stroke. Each subject will participate in 2 sessions: verbal interaction session and music interactions session conducted both by the same qualified music therapist. For both sessions, each participant will be asked to perform three musical exercises with their right hand on an electric piano. During the Verbal Interaction session, participants will perform exercises alone, while the therapist only interacts with them verbally. During the second session, the Music Therapeutic Interaction session, participants will perform musical exercises while the therapist is interacting with them musically, using music therapy techniques. Measurement tools will include an EEG marker - the Cognitive Effort Index (CEI), for real-time measurement of the patient's and therapist's level of engagement; the HandTutorTM for evaluating real-time changes in a patient's fingers and wrist movement; and video recordings of the patient's hands while performing the musical exercises.

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