Music-based intervention as an adjunctive therapy in people with epilepsy: A scoping review

Epilepsy is a major neurological disorder that affects individuals across all age groups and can significantly impair their quality of life. Although pharmacological treatments are available, there remains a need for complementary non-pharmacological lifestyle interventions. Music-based intervention (MBI) is a possible option, as it is non-invasive, cost-effective, and easily implemented. This scoping review aims to identify and describe MBIs used in the management of epilepsy. A systematic search was conducted from April 9 to June 10, 2025, using two electronic databases: Ovid Medline and Scopus. The protocol was prospectively registered with the Research Ethics Committee of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (FF-2025-173) and PROSPERO (CRD420251119617). Of the 3977 articles identified, 21 studies investigating MBIs for epilepsy met the inclusion criteria. Ten studies were rated as having a high risk of bias based on the Cochrane risk-of-bias assessment tool. The remaining studies provided Class II evidence according to both the GRADE and OCEBM frameworks. Most studies used passive listening of pre-recorded Mozart K.448 for intervention. Overall, MBIs were assigned a Level C recommendation for epilepsy. MBIs for epilepsy require further investigations with robust study designs and a standardized protocol. Heterogeneous study designs and small samples are likely barriers to meaningful clinical translation. Therefore, the rating of recommendations only serves as a point of reference. Future avenues include live performance and reminiscence elements.