abstract: Cerebral palsy (CP) is a non-progressive neurologic disorder characterized by motor pathway damage prior to functional development. Damage to the central nervous system impairs motor functioning, including control of motor movement, loss of coordination, and loss of purposeful posture in individuals with cerebral palsy. This creates abnormal walking gait, impaired balance, and loss of muscle control. Current research shows positive results in studying the use of rhythmic music and walking gait for individuals with neurologic disorders. However, most research focuses on neurologic disorders acquired later in life, such as post-stroke patients and individuals with Parkinson's disease and traumatic brain injuries. The current study addresses the impact of rhythmic music on walking gait for an individual with cerebral palsy. Research addresses whether the use of rhythmic music impacts: (a) endurance (laps, distance traversed, and steps taken) (b) cadence (steps per minute), (c) velocity (distance over time), (d) emotional responsiveness (positive or negative affect), and (e) motivation. The current study is a single subject, mixed method design under randomized treatment conditions. The subject is a 25-year-old female diagnosed with spastic diplegic cerebral palsy. The subject participated in a five-week study, three times a week for one hour each session. Assessment was conducted during the first session. The following 14 sessions included gait training either under treatment (the use of recorded rhythmic music accompanied by audible drum beat) or control (no music) randomly assigned prior to the beginning of the study. Data were collected through video recordings, subject and researcher journals, and emotional responsiveness surveys. Data were analyzed for treatment versus control conditions. Analysis of both quantitative and qualitative data indicated that rhythmic music does impact walking gait for individuals with cerebral palsy. When compared to control conditions, the treatment conditions showed an increase in endurance, cadence, and velocity, and improvement in affect and motivation. / Dissertation/Thesis / M.M. Music Therapy 2011

I denna studie undersöks och jämförs hur rytmisk notläsning med barn, 5–8 år, framställs i vetenskapliga texter under 2000-talet. Fokus för studien är vilka strategier som skildras men även forskning om vilka effekter notläsning kan ha på läs- och skrivutveckling refereras. För att besvara studiens syfte och frågeställning används metoden allmän litteraturstudie med systematisk ansats samt en informell intervju med tre forskare inom neurologi. Fyra vetenskapliga artiklar är inkluderade i studien. Alla har granskats kvalitets- och kunskapskritiskt. Den vetenskapsteoretiska ansatsen för studien är kulturhistorisk men min långa bakgrund som rytmikpedagog, skolad och erfaren i Dalcroze-metodik, är den vinkel jag oundvikligen betraktar resultatet ur. Ett av studiens resultat är att ämnet inte ägnats någon större uppmärksamhet från forskare under 2000-talet och det därför finns mycket att göra för att utveckla praxis. De huvudsakliga resultaten i de studerade artiklarna är att a) barn tenderar att prioritera tonhöjd framför rytm i notbilden, b) underliggande puls på rytmens minsta värde, snarare än puls som motsvarar taktens värde, förenklar för notläsningsförmågans utveckling, c) god notläsning kräver tidigt utformade strategier snarare än övning och d) rytmisk notläsning kan utvecklas på ett likartat sätt som läs- och skrivförmåga och bör stödjas ur det perspektivet med aktiviteter som innefattar ljuda, skriva och läsa. I intervjudelen framkommer bland annat att rytmisk träning kan främja tal- och skriftspråklig utveckling men att det inte förekommer några direkta transfereffekter mellan läsning och notläsning. / In this study, the 21st century scientific literature addressing rhythmic music reading in children aged 5–8 is explored and compared. The described strategies are the main focus of the study but research on music reading´s effect on the development of reading and writing skills is also discussed. In order to meet the purpose of this study and answer the scientific question, the methods general literature study with systematic approach together with informal interviews with three neurology-scientists, are applied. Four scientific articles are included in the study. They were all thoroughly reviewed from a quality- and knowledge perspective. The scientific theory used for this study is Vygotskij´s cultural-historical psychology but my own background as a teacher of eurythmics, educated and experienced in Dalcroze´s methodology, is inevitably the light in which I view the results of this study. One of the study´s results, is that this subject did not yet render much attention from researchers during the 21st century, leaving a lot of room for further development of practice. The main results of the studied articles are that a) children tend to prioritize tone before rhythm when reading notated music, b) underlying beat on the shortest note-duration in the rhythm, rather than beat that corresponds to the “worth” of the bar, simplifies the development of music reading skills, c) accomplished music reading demands early developed strategies rather than practice and d) rhythmic music reading may develop in a trajectory similar to that of language and literacy acquisition and should be fostered within that perspective through all of the following: oral and aural exercises, writing and reading. The interview-section shows, amongst other things, that rhythmic training may promote the development of articulation and writing, but there are no direct transfer effects between reading and music reading.