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Music-based therapeutic interventions for people with dementia
Jenny T van der Steen1,2,3, Johannes C van der Wouden4, Abigail M Methley5
1Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands.
The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews
|March 6, 2025
Summary
Music-based interventions for dementia likely improve depressive symptoms and behavioral problems compared to usual care. However, evidence for long-term effects or benefits in other areas like cognition or anxiety remains uncertain.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Neurology
- Psychiatry
Background:
- Dementia is a syndrome characterized by cognitive, behavioral, and emotional decline.
- Pharmacological treatments for dementia have limited efficacy.
- Music-based interventions are suitable for individuals with advanced dementia due to preserved receptivity to music.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effectiveness of music-based therapeutic interventions for people with dementia.
- To assess impacts on emotional well-being, mood, behavior, social interaction, and cognition.
- To examine effects both immediately post-intervention and in the longer term, as well as any adverse effects.
Main Methods:
- Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs).
- Searched multiple databases including Cochrane, MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Web of Science, LILACS, and clinical trial registries.
- Included 30 RCTs with 1720 participants, comparing music interventions to usual care or other activities.
Main Results:
- Moderate-certainty evidence suggests music interventions slightly improve depressive symptoms (SMD -0.23) and may improve overall behavioral problems (SMD -0.31) compared to usual care at the end of treatment.
- Moderate-certainty evidence indicates no significant improvement in agitation or aggression (SMD -0.05).
- Low to very low certainty evidence found no significant effects on emotional well-being, anxiety, social behavior, or cognition compared to usual care. Limited evidence suggests potential benefits in social behavior and anxiety when compared to other activities, but with very low certainty.
Conclusions:
- Music-based interventions likely offer short-term benefits for depressive symptoms and behavioral problems in dementia patients compared to usual care.
- Evidence for long-term effects or benefits across all outcomes is limited and of low certainty.
- Further research is needed to clarify the duration of effects and optimal intervention parameters.
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