Effects of music and music therapy on mood in neurological patients

Table 1 Characteristics of the included studies concerning effects on dementia

Ref	Design/(Jadad)	Subjects	Diagnosis	Intervention	Professionals	Frequency	Outcome measures	Results
Ashida[60]	CCT (0)	20	Dementia	Playing percussion instruments and listening to live songs performed by the therapist	Music therapist	Five daily session of about 40 min each in a single week	CSDD	Significant reduction of depressive symptoms (P < 0.05)
Choi et al[61]	CCT (1)	20	Dementia	Singing songs, analysis of libretto, making musical instruments, playing instruments, song drawing, and song writing	Music therapist	50 min, 3 times 1 wk for 5 wk (15 sessions)	MMSE, GDS, GQoL, NPI-Q	Positive trends for GDS and GQoL in music group. Improvements in BPDS (P = 0.004) and caregiver distress (P = 0.003)
Guètin et al[62]	RCT (3)	30	Dementia (Alzheimer’s type)	Weekly sessions of individual, self selected music listening. Control group underwent reading sessions	Not specified therapist	Once 1 wk for 18 mo for 20 min	HRSD, GDS	Significant improvements in anxiety and depression (P < 0.01) in the music therapy group
Raglio et al[63]	RCT (3)	20	Dementia	Active-intersubjective approach, based on sonorous-musical improvisation. Control group took part in educational and occupational activities without music	Music therapist	2 times a week for 15 wk for 30 min	ECG Holter, MMSE, ADAS-Cog test, NPI, ADL, IADL	Significant improvement of depression symptoms (P = 0.02) and increase of HRV (P = 0.013)
Cooke et al[64]	RCT (3)	47	Dementia	Musician-led familiar song singing and music listening. Control group participated in reading sessions	Musicians	3 mornings 1 wk for 8 wk for 40 min	DQOL, GDS, MMSE	Not significant effects on GDS and QOL. Positive trends in music group at sub-analysis
Fischer-Terworth et al[65]	CCT (0)	49	Dementia	Singing in group with the therapist, playing elementary musical instruments and listening to biographically relevant music. Control group participated in a nonspecific occupational therapy	Not specified	Once 1 wk for 6 mo for 45 min	NPI, ICEA-D, MMST, GDS	Depression decreased in both groups (P < 0.05). Improvements of NPI and ICEA-D (P < 0.01) in favor of music group No effects on mood. Improvements (P < 0.05) for MPI, MPD, attentional matrices
Ceccato et al[66]	RCT (3)	50	Dementia	Cognitive and sensorial exercises associated with musical stimuli	Music therapist	2 times 1 wk for 12 wk for 45 min	NPI, MPD, ADL, SVAM, GMP, MMSE, CMAI, GDS	No effects on mood. Improvements (P < 0.05) for MPI, MPD, attentional matrices, ADL, SVAM, and GMP
Janata[67]	RCT (3)	38	Dementia	Preferred music listening. Control group was incidentally exposed to the music programming in the course of daily life	Music therapist	Every day for 12 wk from 21 to 65 min	NPI, CMAI, CSDD, MMSE	Reduction of CSDD, NPI, and CMAI score in both groups (P < 0.0001)
Clemént et al[68]	RCT (2)	14	Dementia (Alzheimer’s type)	Listening to music and playing hand-drums over recorded music. Control group underwent cooking activities. Both groups alternated receptive and productive phases	Psychologist with no musical experience	2 times 1 wk for 4 wk for 1 h	BEHAVE-AD, PSMS, SIB. EFE, Discourse contents and STAI-A	Short time effects of emotional indices (P < 0.05) and longer term effects of mood (P < 0.05) up to 4 wk after the end of the treatment
Narme et al[69]	RCT (2)	48	Dementia	Listening to music, singing and playing percussion instruments. Control group took part in cooking activities. Both groups alternated receptive and productive phases	Psychologist with no musical experience	2 times 1 wk for 4 wk for 1 h	SIB, NPI, CMAI, MMST, EFE, Discourse contents and STAI-A	Both group improved in emotional state, NPI score, and professional caregiver distress at different evaluation periods (P < 0.05)
Chu et al[70]	RCT (3)	104	Dementia	Song choice, music-prompted reminiscence, singing, music listening, and instrument playing	Music therapist	Two sessions per week for 6 wk for 30 min	C-CSDD, salivary cortisol, MMSE	Short time effects on depression (P < 0.001) and long time effects on cognition at 1 mo follow-up (P = 0.039)

ADAS-Cog: Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale-Cognitive Subscale; ADL: Activities of daily living; BEHAVE-AD: Behavioral Pathology in Alzheimer’s Disease Scale; CCT: Controlled Clinical Trial; CMAI: Cohen-Mansfield Agitation Inventory; CSDD: Cornell Scale for Depression in Dementia; C-CSDD: Chinese Cornell Scale for Depression in Dementia; DQOL: Dementia Quality of Life; ECG Holter: Electrocardiography Holter; GDS: Geriatric Depression Scale; GMP: Good Manufacturing Practice; GQoL: Geriatric Quality of Life; HRSD: Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression; IADL: Instrumental Activities of Dailiy Living; ICEA-D: Inventory to Asses Communication, Emotional Expression and Activity in Dementia; MMSE: Mini-Mental State Examination; NPI: Neuropsychiatric Inventory; NPI-Q: Neuropsychiatric Inventory Questionnaire; RCT: Randomized Controlled Trial; SVAM: Metacognition Assessment Scale.