Page 21 - Petelin, Ana. 2021. Ed. Zdravje starostnikov / Health of the Elderly. Proceedings. Koper: University of Primorska Press.
P. 21
erence Type of study Study goal Sample size Research findings AMSTAR
Music therapy could 8/11
Effects of mu- improve verbal fluen-
sic therapy on cy and reduce anxie-
A systematic re- patients with ty, depression, and ap-
Long Lam et al., view of liter- dementia to No data athy to patients living
2020 ature evaluate its po- with dementia. There
dose not appear to be
tential benefits proven benefits on
on dementia. memory, daily func-
tion, or overall quali-
ty of life
Discussion effects of music therapy on patients with dementia: a systematic review 19
Nowadays, there is a growing incidence of this disease in the population all
around the world, and, therefore, it is important to develop treatments and ac-
tivities to relieve its symptoms. To reach that assumption, we performed this
overview which identified 12 systematic reviews including 228 studies report-
ing on outcomes of music therapy on at least one neuropsychiatric symptom
to patients with dementia. These reviews addressed components that are im-
portant for this intervention to be successful, like for example range of differ-
ent types of music therapy, the intervention length, the number of sessions per
week, and the person who conducted music therapy.
Some of the analyzed studies found out that music therapy can alleviate
anxiety and depression. Gomez-Romero et al., 2017, found that different types
of music therapy (active technique, passive listening, or combined technique)
are beneficial for improving anxiety. The results of a study by author Ueda et
al., 2013 indicate that music therapy reduced anxiety and depression in people
with dementia. However, they were unable to clarify what type of music ther-
apy. Regarding the effects of the intervention type, the singing intervention
seemed to produce moderate effects on behavior and anxiety. The listening in-
tervention might produce somewhat more effects on the outcomes of behav-
ior, depression, and anxiety. In the study by Alexio et al., 2017, receptive “relax-
ation” music therapy is a method that probably better reduces neuropsychiatric
symptoms. Studies of authors Zhang et al., 2016, and Long Lam et al., 2020, al-
so showed that music therapy had positive effects on disruptive behavior and
anxiety but also a positive trend for cognitive function, depression, and qual-
ity of life.
A systematic review from author Long Lam et al., 2020, showed that the
effect of music therapy on patients living with dementia suggested significant
improvements in verbal and language fluency, alleviation of BPSD including
anxiety and depression and reduced levels of apathy. These findings are gener-
ally in line with previous reports on the potential benefits of music therapy in
improving the behavioral symptoms in patients living with dementia (Zhang et
al., 2016; Gomez-Romero et al., 2017). However, this study suggests that the mu-
sic therapy field significantly improves the overall aspects of cognition (such as
Music therapy could 8/11
Effects of mu- improve verbal fluen-
sic therapy on cy and reduce anxie-
A systematic re- patients with ty, depression, and ap-
Long Lam et al., view of liter- dementia to No data athy to patients living
2020 ature evaluate its po- with dementia. There
dose not appear to be
tential benefits proven benefits on
on dementia. memory, daily func-
tion, or overall quali-
ty of life
Discussion effects of music therapy on patients with dementia: a systematic review 19
Nowadays, there is a growing incidence of this disease in the population all
around the world, and, therefore, it is important to develop treatments and ac-
tivities to relieve its symptoms. To reach that assumption, we performed this
overview which identified 12 systematic reviews including 228 studies report-
ing on outcomes of music therapy on at least one neuropsychiatric symptom
to patients with dementia. These reviews addressed components that are im-
portant for this intervention to be successful, like for example range of differ-
ent types of music therapy, the intervention length, the number of sessions per
week, and the person who conducted music therapy.
Some of the analyzed studies found out that music therapy can alleviate
anxiety and depression. Gomez-Romero et al., 2017, found that different types
of music therapy (active technique, passive listening, or combined technique)
are beneficial for improving anxiety. The results of a study by author Ueda et
al., 2013 indicate that music therapy reduced anxiety and depression in people
with dementia. However, they were unable to clarify what type of music ther-
apy. Regarding the effects of the intervention type, the singing intervention
seemed to produce moderate effects on behavior and anxiety. The listening in-
tervention might produce somewhat more effects on the outcomes of behav-
ior, depression, and anxiety. In the study by Alexio et al., 2017, receptive “relax-
ation” music therapy is a method that probably better reduces neuropsychiatric
symptoms. Studies of authors Zhang et al., 2016, and Long Lam et al., 2020, al-
so showed that music therapy had positive effects on disruptive behavior and
anxiety but also a positive trend for cognitive function, depression, and qual-
ity of life.
A systematic review from author Long Lam et al., 2020, showed that the
effect of music therapy on patients living with dementia suggested significant
improvements in verbal and language fluency, alleviation of BPSD including
anxiety and depression and reduced levels of apathy. These findings are gener-
ally in line with previous reports on the potential benefits of music therapy in
improving the behavioral symptoms in patients living with dementia (Zhang et
al., 2016; Gomez-Romero et al., 2017). However, this study suggests that the mu-
sic therapy field significantly improves the overall aspects of cognition (such as
