Development and evaluation of a novel music-based therapeutic device for upper extremity movement training: A pre-clinical, single-arm trial

PLoS One. 2020 Nov 19;15(11):e0242552. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0242552. eCollection 2020.

Abstract

Restoration of upper limb motor function and patient functional independence are crucial treatment targets in neurological rehabilitation. Growing evidence indicates that music-based intervention is a promising therapeutic approach for the restoration of upper extremity functional abilities in neurologic conditions such as cerebral palsy, stroke, and Parkinson's Disease. In this context, music technology may be particularly useful to increase the availability and accessibility of music-based therapy and assist therapists in the implementation and assessment of targeted therapeutic goals. In the present study, we conducted a pre-clinical, single-arm trial to evaluate a novel music-based therapeutic device (SONATA) for upper limb extremity movement training. The device consists of a graphical user interface generated by a single-board computer displayed on a 32" touchscreen with built-in speakers controlled wirelessly by a computer tablet. The system includes two operational modes that allow users to play musical melodies on a virtual keyboard or draw figures/shapes whereby every action input results in controllable sensory feedback. Four motor tasks involving hand/finger movement were performed with 21 healthy individuals (13 males, aged 26.4 ± 3.5 years) to evaluate the device's operational modes and main features. The results of the functional tests suggest that the device is a reliable system to present pre-defined sequences of audiovisual stimuli and shapes and to record response and movement data. This preliminary study also suggests that the device is feasible and adequate for use with healthy individuals. These findings open new avenues for future clinical research to further investigate the feasibility and usability of the SONATA as a tool for upper extremity motor function training in neurological rehabilitation. Directions for future clinical research are discussed.

Publication types

  • Evaluation Study

MeSH terms

  • Acoustic Stimulation
  • Adult
  • Arm / physiology*
  • Computer Systems
  • Feasibility Studies
  • Feedback, Sensory*
  • Female
  • Fingers / physiology
  • Hand / physiology
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Movement Disorders / physiopathology
  • Movement Disorders / rehabilitation*
  • Music
  • Music Therapy / instrumentation*
  • Neuromuscular Diseases / physiopathology
  • Neuromuscular Diseases / rehabilitation*
  • Photic Stimulation
  • Physical Therapy Modalities / instrumentation*
  • Psychomotor Performance
  • Reaction Time
  • Reference Values
  • Spatial Behavior
  • User-Computer Interface
  • Young Adult

Grants and funding

The authors received no specific funding for this work. RP and SS are affiliated to a commercial company: BeSB GmbH. The funder provided support in the form of salaries for authors RP and SS but did not have any additional role in the study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. The specific roles of these authors are articulated in the ‘author contributions’ section.