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Music intervention for neurodevelopment in the pediatric population: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Daiji Jiang1, Xiaowei Liu2, Qian Lin3,4
1Heart Center and Shanghai Institute of Pediatric Congenital Heart Disease, Shanghai Children's Medical Center, National Children's Medical Center, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200127, China.
Insights
Music intervention (MI) shows potential for improving children's neurodevelopment, particularly in language, motor skills, and IQ. Further research is needed to standardize music therapy (MT) protocols for robust findings.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Neurodevelopment
- Music Therapy Research
- Systematic Review & Meta-Analysis
Background:
- Neurodevelopmental outcomes in children are critical for long-term health.
- Music intervention (MI) is increasingly explored for therapeutic benefits.
- Standardized research on MI's impact on pediatric neurodevelopment is limited.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review and analyze research on music intervention's effects on neurodevelopment in children.
- To provide a reference for music therapy (MT) clinical research in pediatrics.
- To assess the impact of MI on various neurodevelopmental domains.
Main Methods:
- Comprehensive database search (PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane) up to December 2023.
- Inclusion of randomized controlled trials evaluating neurodevelopmental outcomes post-MI.
- Meta-analysis using standardized mean difference (SMD) calculations across seven studies (337 participants).
Main Results:
- No significant cognitive improvements observed on the Bayley-III scale.
- Positive effects of MI noted in language, motor skills, and IQ scores (Gesell, CSBQ, IQ scales).
- Music intervention demonstrates potential benefits for children's neurodevelopmental processes.
Conclusions:
- Music intervention holds promise for enhancing pediatric neurodevelopment, including cognitive, language, motor, and IQ aspects.
- Future MI research requires carefully designed protocols with standardization to avoid confounding factors.
- Improved study design will lead to more robust results and better comparability in pediatric MT research.
Abstract:
This systematic review and meta-analysis aim to summarize and analyze current research on the effects of MI on neurodevelopment in children of all ages and health statuses to provide a reference for music therapy (MT) and its clinical research in pediatrics. We conducted a comprehensive search of PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library databases up to December 2023, focusing on randomized controlled trials that evaluated neurodevelopmental outcomes following MI. Our analysis, which included seven studies involving 337 participants, employed standardized mean difference (SMD) calculations to assess outcomes across multiple neurodevelopmental scales. While no significant cognitive improvements were observed on the Bayley-III scale, positive effects were noted in language, motor skills, and IQ scores when assessed via Gesell, CSBQ, and IQ scales. Our research underscores the potential of music intervention in the process of children's neurodevelopment, including cognitive function, language, motor and IQ. Based on the limitations, researchers should carefully design their MI protocols, ensuring standardization and avoiding probable confounding factors such as regional specificity, age ranges and special populations, it will contribute to more robust results and improve the comparability of findings across studies.
