Ashley Szczesny, Marie R. Kerins, Ed.D.

Using Personalized Alarm Tones to Improve Quality of Life among People with TBI

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Deficiencies in memory and attention as well as a lack of independence have a significant impact on the TBI population. Many individuals with TBI struggle with depression and feel that they are no longer the person they once were (Thaut et al., 2009). They have a difficult time adjusting to a new lifestyle and the psychological impact of a TBI could play a role in the insufficient use of compensatory strategies. However, the use of music in cognitive rehabilitation has been proven to be effective (Thaut et al., 2009). Few studies have evaluated the effectiveness of using personally motivating music paired with an alarm system to help individuals with TBI improve their memory recall. In this proposed study, individuals with a traumatic brain injury and their caregivers will be assessed before and after treatment to determine if using personally motivating music increases the use of an alarm system for memory recall and leads to a higher QOL.