Music-based interventions for unilateral spatial neglect: A systematic review

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Rehabilitation Medicine
• Auditory Cognitive Neuroscience

Background:

• Unilateral spatial neglect (USN) is a common deficit following brain injury, impacting daily functioning.
• Current rehabilitation strategies for USN have varying degrees of effectiveness.
• Music-based interventions offer a novel therapeutic avenue for cognitive and motor rehabilitation.

Approach:

• A systematic review was conducted, searching five databases for studies on music interventions for USN.
• Included study designs encompassed randomized controlled trials, controlled clinical trials, cohorts, and case series/reports.
• Methodological quality was assessed using the RoB 2 tool for RCTs and the RoBiNT scale for case studies.

Key Points:

• Ten studies were included in the final analysis.
• Patients with USN demonstrated improved performance on cancellation tests compared to bisection tests after music-based interventions.
• Pleasant music listening may enhance visual attention in USN patients, potentially via mood and emotion modulation.

Conclusions:

• Music-based interventions show short-term positive effects on unilateral spatial neglect.
• Dynamic auditory stimuli and instrument playing represent promising areas for future USN rehabilitation research.
• Further investigation is needed to explore the long-term efficacy and underlying mechanisms of music interventions in USN.