Specific tools to measure the cognitive benefits of music therapy and music-rehabilitation training available to music therapists are few and empirically weak: they are mostly psychometrically unrefined or based on unclear tasks and scoring protocols; they do not take into consideration distinct cognitive functions or are based on exclusively observational protocols. To overcome these limitations, we developed a 15-min cognitive screening tool suitable for music therapists, Music Cognitive Test (MCT), which assesses cognitive abilities stimulated by music-making activities (e.g., attentional, verbal, and executive functions, short- and long-term memory) by including music-based items. MCT was validated with 335 participants (aged 18–100 years old) presenting a range of cognitive levels, from healthy cognition to severe impairment. MCT correlated strongly and positively with well-known tests: Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), and Severe Mini-Mental State Examination (SMMSE). MCT also displayed excellent sensitivity in identifying impaired individuals according to both MMSE and MoCA diagnostic criteria (99.4% and 93.0%, respectively), and excellent specificity in identifying healthy participants based on MMSE (93.5%) and MoCA (97.8%) criteria. Overall, results highlight the reliability of this novel brief music-focused cognitive screening test, to enable music therapists to independently and consistently monitor the effectiveness of their intervention on cognitive functions.

用于衡量音乐治疗和音乐康复训练对音乐治疗师的认知益处的具体工具很少，而且经验不足：它们大多在心理测量上未完善或基于不清楚的任务和评分协议；它们不考虑不同的认知功能或仅基于观察协议。为了克服这些限制，我们开发了一种适用于音乐治疗师的 15 分钟认知筛查工具，音乐认知测试 (MCT)，它评估由音乐创作活动刺激的认知能力（例如，注意力、语言和执行功能、短期和长期记忆）通过包括基于音乐的项目。MCT 对 335 名参与者（年龄在 18-100 岁）进行了验证，这些参与者呈现出一系列认知水平，从健康认知到严重障碍。MCT 与众所周知的测试强烈且呈正相关：简易精神状态检查 (MMSE)、蒙特利尔认知评估 (MoCA) 和严重简易精神状态检查 (SMMSE)。MCT 在根据 MMSE 和 MoCA 诊断标准（分别为 99.4% 和 93.0%）识别受损个体方面也表现出优异的敏感性，在根据 MMSE（93.5%）和 MoCA（97.8%）标准识别健康参与者方面也表现出优异的特异性。总体而言，结果突出了这种新颖的简短的以音乐为重点的认知筛查测试的可靠性，使音乐治疗师能够独立并始终如一地监测他们对认知功能的干预的有效性。和严重的简易精神状态检查 (SMMSE)。MCT 在根据 MMSE 和 MoCA 诊断标准（分别为 99.4% 和 93.0%）识别受损个体方面也表现出优异的敏感性，在根据 MMSE（93.5%）和 MoCA（97.8%）标准识别健康参与者方面也表现出优异的特异性。总体而言，结果突出了这种新颖的简短的以音乐为重点的认知筛查测试的可靠性，使音乐治疗师能够独立并始终如一地监测他们对认知功能的干预的有效性。和严重的简易精神状态检查 (SMMSE)。MCT 在根据 MMSE 和 MoCA 诊断标准（分别为 99.4% 和 93.0%）识别受损个体方面也表现出优异的敏感性，在根据 MMSE（93.5%）和 MoCA（97.8%）标准识别健康参与者方面也表现出优异的特异性。总体而言，结果突出了这种新颖的简短的以音乐为重点的认知筛查测试的可靠性，使音乐治疗师能够独立并始终如一地监测他们对认知功能的干预的有效性。