Review shows no evidence of long-term effects from music-based therapeutic interventions<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n
By Lori Solomon HealthDay Reporter<\/b>
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TUESDAY, March 11, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Music-based therapeutic interventions may improve depressive symptoms and overall behavioral problems in the short term for people with dementia, according to a review published online March 7 in Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews<\/em>.<\/p>\n Jenny T. van der Steen, Ph.D., from the Leiden University Medical Center in the Netherlands, and colleagues conducted a systematic literature review to assess the effects of music\u2010based therapeutic interventions for people with dementia.<\/p>\n Based on 30 studies (1,720 participants), the researchers found moderate-certainty evidence that music-based therapeutic interventions probably improved depressive symptoms slightly (nine studies; 441 participants). There was low-certainty evidence that it improved overall behavioral problems (10 studies; 385 participants). There was moderate-certainty evidence that music-based therapeutic interventions likely did not improve agitation or aggression (11 studies; 503 participants). There was low- to very low-certainty evidence that music-based interventions did not improve emotional well-being (four studies; 154 participants), anxiety (seven studies; 282 participants), social behavior (two studies; 121 participants), or cognition (seven studies; 353 participants). Four weeks or more after the end of treatment, there was low- or very low-certainty evidence that music-based therapeutic interventions may not have been more effective than usual care for any of the outcomes.<\/p>\n “When compared to usual care, providing people with dementia with at least five sessions of a music\u2010based therapeutic intervention probably improves depressive symptoms and may improve overall behavioral problems at the end of treatment,” the authors write.<\/p>\n Several authors disclosed ties to relevant organizations.<\/p>\n Abstract\/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)<\/a><\/p>\n