The effect of music therapy on cognition in neurorehabilitation: A pilot crossover randomized controlled trial

This study aims to assess the feasibility of this pilot study's design and implementation and to compare the effect of active and passive music therapy interventions and standard care on cognition in neurorehabilitation.

Participants aged 30 to 60 years with Mini-Mental State Examination scores between 10 and 22 and with no hearing impairment were included in this pilot crossover randomized controlled trial between October 2018 and August 2020. Each participant received one session of each of the following: active music therapy intervention consisting of instrument playing and singing, passive music therapy intervention consisting of relaxation and music imagery, and standard care, in a randomized sequence. Mini-Cog tests were conducted before and after each session, and the scores were collected for data analysis.

Thirty-eight participants (31 males and 7 females; mean age: 44.4±8.0 years; range, 30 to 60 years) were included in the final analyses. The Kendall's W values ranged from 0.011 to 0.25, indicating a small effect across different permutations. The results showed no significant difference in pre- and postintervention Mini-Cog test scores between the experimental and control conditions [χ²=3.047, p=0.218].

This pilot study is feasible in its design, procedures, and interventions. The maximum observed effect of 0.25 was used to calculate the sample size for a full-scale study, proposing 88 participants. Despite the nonsignificant results, this study served as a valuable resource for future research in cognitive rehabilitation and music therapy.