Effect of music therapy derived from the five elements in Traditional Chinese Medicine on post-stroke depression

To evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of five phase music therapy in patients with depression after ischemic stroke.

A total of 92 patients with post-stroke depression were randomly divided into the control group (32 cases), treatment group A (30 cases), and treatment group B (30 cases). All groups were given basic therapies for cerebral infarction. In addition, the control group was administerd 50 mg of oral sertraline hydrochloride daily, while treatment groups A and B received needling at Baihui (GV 20) plus acupoint injection at Yanglingquan (GB 34) daily; treatment group B also received music therapy derived from the five phases in Traditional Chinese Medicine theory twice daily. All treatments were administered for 5 d per treatment cycle for three cycles, with a 1 d interval between cycles. In all three groups, Hamilton's depression scale (HAMD-17) score and the activities of daily life (ADL) score were measured before and after treatment, and side effects were assessed with the treatment emergent symptom scale.

The HAMD-17 score significantly decreased after treatment in all three groups, and the post-treatment reduction in HAMD-17 score was markedly greater in treatment group B than in treatment group A (P < 0.01). The ADL score significantly increased after treatment in all three groups, and the post-treatment increase in ADL score was significantly greater in treatment group B than in treatment group A (P < 0.01). The treatment emergent symptom scale score was highest in the control group, and lowest in group B, and significantly differed between the three groups (P < 0.01).

Five phase music therapy plus acupoint needling and acupoint injection can improve the symptoms in patients with post-stroke depression.