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Music-based therapeutic interventions for people with dementia
Jenny T van der Steen1, Mirjam C van Soest-Poortvliet2, Johannes C van der Wouden3
1Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Leiden University Medical Center, Hippocratespad 21, Gebouw 3, PO Box 9600, Leiden, Netherlands, 2300RC.
The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews
|May 3, 2017
Summary
Music-based interventions for dementia likely reduce depressive symptoms but show little effect on agitation or aggression. Evidence for other benefits like improved emotional well-being or cognition remains uncertain, with low-quality data for long-term outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine
- Neuroscience and Neurology
- Psychiatry and Psychology
Background:
- Dementia is a syndrome of cognitive, behavioral, and emotional decline, often inadequately addressed by pharmacological treatments.
- Non-pharmacological interventions for dementia are under-researched, highlighting a need for evidence-based alternatives.
- Music-based interventions (MBIs) are explored as a potential non-pharmacological approach to manage dementia symptoms.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review the evidence on the effectiveness of music-based therapeutic interventions for individuals with dementia.
- To assess the impact of MBIs on emotional well-being, quality of life, mood, behavioral problems, social behavior, and cognition.
- To evaluate outcomes both immediately post-intervention and in the longer term (four or more weeks after treatment cessation).
Main Methods:
- A comprehensive search was conducted across multiple databases (ALOIS, MEDLINE, Embase, psycINFO, CINAHL, LILACS) and trial registers.
- Included were randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of MBIs (minimum five sessions) for people with dementia, comparing them to usual care or other activities.
- Data extraction and quality assessment were performed independently by two reviewers, with meta-analyses conducted using random-effects models.
Main Results:
- Moderate-quality evidence indicates MBIs reduce depressive symptoms in dementia patients (SMD -0.28).
- Low-quality evidence suggests MBIs have little to no effect on emotional well-being, quality of life, overall behavior problems, or cognition.
- Evidence is insufficient to determine effects on agitation, aggression, anxiety, or social behavior, with very low quality for long-term outcomes.
Conclusions:
- Music-based interventions likely alleviate depressive symptoms in dementia but do not significantly impact agitation or aggression.
- The effects of MBIs on emotional well-being, quality of life, behavior, and cognition appear minimal, with uncertain long-term benefits.
- Future research should focus on larger sample sizes, diverse outcomes (including positive ones), and the duration of MBI effects.
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