Abstract
Iga and Alpha-Amylase: New Targets for Well-Being in Alzheimers Disease Patients, a Pilot Study with Music Therapy
Author(s): Jose Enrique de la Rubia Orti, Maria Pilar Garcia Pardo, Pilar Perez-Ros, Mariano Julian Rochina, Sandra Sancho CastilloAbstract
Well-being plays a significant role in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and music therapy can bring about an increased perception of well-being in these patients. The aim of this study is to determine the relationship between the improvement in the emotional perception and the physiological parameters (immunoglobulin A (IgA) and alpha-amylase). A prospective, mixed analytical and quasi-experimental study was carried out, involving eight music therapy sessions over a two-month period in patients with mild AD. The final sample for this pilot study contained 25 patients from Valencia (Valencia Association of Relatives of Alzheimer’s Patients (Spain)) and the experiment was performed between the months of October and November of 2015.
The ELISA technique was used to quantify salivary IgA and alpha-amylase before and after the sessions. Mood questionnaires were also used to analyze mood state happiness. Salivary IgA and alpha-amylase were found to be correlated and to increase after music therapy although the differences were not significant. The happiness scores were seen to increase significantly, but showed a non-significant association with IgA production. Therefore, IgA and alpha amylase could be used as possible biomarkers of increases in well-being in AD patients, although more studies are needed to confirm these results.