Music Therapy as an Effective Intervention in the Treatment of of Depression in a Patient With Korsakoff's Syndrome

Abstract

The main aim of this study is to demonstrate the efficacy of the Music Therapy intervention and the possibility of influencing positively on depressive symptoms of a patient with this Syndrome making significant improvements in the general condition and in particular on the “activation versus apathy". The Music Therapy approach is mainly based on a sonorous music relationship between the patient and music therapist. Active Music Therapy facilitates the expressive process, increasing communicative-relational abilities and modulation and regulation of emotions. This approach is based on intersubjective psychological theories and allows “affect attunement” moments. After 24 sessions of Music Therapy treatment, a significant decrease in depressive symptoms and an increase in the level of activation vs. apathy were observed in the patient; these results are confirmed by the analysis of the clinical tests and remain constant even after a follow-up to a month. Four in-dependent observers analyzed the Music Therapy process from a quantitative point of view through videotapes of each session. The Music Therapy treatment showed its effects on areas involved in emotional processing and regulation, such as the limbic and paralimbic structures. Music Therapy can be an effective inter-vention for improving the quality of life and supporting caregivers in the management of Korsakoff Syndrome.