Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 10, 2026
Clinical Practice Protocol of Creative Music Therapy for Preterm Infants and Their Parents in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
Published on: January 7, 2020
The Number Needed to Treat for Music as a Medicine against Perioperative Anxiety: A Systematic Review and
Jetske M Stoop1, Jorrit G Verhoeven1, Sanne Hoeks2
1From the Department of Neuroscience, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
Background:
Music intervention is effective in reducing perioperative anxiety, which occurs in a majority of hospitalized surgical patients. A calculated Number Needed to Treat (NNT) provides an intuitive means of conveying the effectiveness of an intervention that can help clinicians decide whether or not to implement said intervention. This study aimed to calculate an NNT to provide extra context to help clinicians consider the implementation of music intervention.
Methods:
To calculate the NNT of music intervention for perioperative anxiety, a systematic review and meta-analysis were performed. A comprehensive literature search was conducted in Medline ALL, Embase, Web of Science Core Collection, Cochrane, CINAHL Plus, and PsycINFO from inception until April 14, 2025. Studies describing randomized controlled trials comparing the effect of perioperative music intervention on perioperative anxiety, measured with any validated tool, were included. The revised Cochrane risk-of-bias handbook was used to determine the quality of the included studies. The NNT was calculated with Furukawa's method, converting a calculated Cohen's d to an NNT.
Results:
Twenty papers were included in the review and meta-analysis. All studies used either the Visual Analog Scale for Anxiety or the 6-item State-Trait Anxiety Index. Standardized mean difference of anxiety reduction after music interventions was -0.72 (95% confidence interval [CI], -0.92 to -0.53), which equals a moderate-to-large effect size. The NNT for perioperative music intervention is 4. This indicates that 4 patients need to listen to music perioperatively, to reduce the Visual Analog Scale for Anxiety for 1 patient by 12 mm, or the State-Trait Anxiety Index by 5.7 points.
Conclusions:
This meta-analysis shows that a relatively low number of patients need to be treated with music intervention to reduce perioperative anxiety with an effectiveness similar to benzodiazepines.
More Related Videos
14:52Recording Brain Electromagnetic Activity During the Administration of the Gaseous Anesthetic Agents Xenon and Nitrous Oxide in Healthy Volunteers
Published on: January 13, 2018
07:17Assessing the Effects of Music Listening on Psychobiological Stress in Daily Life
Published on: February 2, 2017
Related Concept Videos
01:24General Anesthesia: Overview
General anesthesia induces unconsciousness in the whole body, while the others target specific areas or sensations. It is administered to minimize adverse effects, maintain...
01:26Anxiolytic Drugs: Overview
Primary Types of Anxiolytic Drugs
1. Benzodiazepines:
Benzodiazepines bind to the GABA-A receptor in the brain, enhancing GABA's interaction. This action reduces neurotransmission, effectively blocking anxiety-associated limbic...
01:22Stages of General Anesthesia
01:28Cardiomyopathy VII: Pre and Post Operative Nursing Management
01:18Anxiety: Overview
Individuals with anxiety often experience a range of physical and emotional symptoms, including sweating, trembling, tachycardia, and disturbances in sleep patterns. These symptoms vary in intensity and frequency but are generally disruptive and distressing.
01:31Skeletal Muscle Relaxants: Therapeutic Uses