Effect of Music Therapy on Anxiety and Depression in Patients with Alzheimer’s Type Dementia: Randomised, Controlled Study

Music therapy (MT) has been used in geriatric nursing hospitals, but there has been no extensive research into whether it actually has beneficial effects on elderly patients with cerebrovascular disease (CVD) and dementia. We investigated the effects of MT on the autonomic nervous system and plasma cytokine and catecholamine levels in elderly patients with CVD and dementia, since these are related to aging and chronic geriatric disease. We also investigated the effects of MT on congestive heart failure (CHF) events.Eighty-seven patients with pre-existing CVD were enrolled in the study. We assigned patients into an MT group (n = 55) and non-MT group (n = 32). The MT group received MT at least once per week for 45 minutes over 10 times. Cardiac autonomic activity was assessed by heart rate variability (HRV). We measured plasma cytokine and catecholamine levels in both the MT group and non-MT group. We compared the incidence of CHF events between these two groups. In the MT group, rMSSD, pNN50, and HF were significantly increased by MT, whereas LF/HF was slightly decreased. In the non-MT group, there were no significant changes in any HRV parameters. Among cytokines, plasma interleukin-6 (IL-6) in the MT group was significantly lower than those in the non-MT group. Plasma adrenaline and noradrenaline levels were significantly lower in the MT group than in the non-MT group. CHF events were less frequent in the MT group than in the non-MT group (P < 0.05). These findings suggest that MT enhanced parasympathetic activities and decreased CHF by reducing plasma cytokine and catecholamine levels.

Background Mood-behavioral symptoms, fatigue and pain are frequent among people with multiple sclerosis (pwMS). Music therapy (MT) is a non-pharmacological option for symptomatic treatment in neurological diseases. Objectives To assess effects of 6-week-outpatient MT on anxiety (primary outcome) as well as: depression, fatigue, pain and body perception (secondary outcomes) in pwMS. Methods We randomized pwMS 1:1 to music therapy group (MTG) and control group (CG). Both had one 45-min session per week, MTG with a monochord, CG without music. A blinded rater assessed endpoints at baseline and week 6 with standardized questionnaires (e.g. hospital anxiety and depression scale, HADS) and quantitative sensory testing (QST). Immediate session effects were also assessed. The analysis included linear mixed models, adjusted for pwMS's characteristics and baseline scores. Results Fifty-seven pwMS (age: 50.1 ± 12.4 years, 47 women, MTG: n = 30, CG: n = 27) were included. In MTG, anxiety levels (HADS) did not differ from CG at week 6 (p = 0.109). Among secondary outcomes, psychosocial fatigue was reduced (p = 0.029), QST heat pain thresholds were higher (p = 0.024) and immediate subjective effects stronger in MTG (e.g. feeling balanced: p &lt; 0.001, relaxed: p &lt; 0.001, less pain: p &lt; 0.001). Conclusion Despite no difference in anxiety, we observed effects of receptive MT on fatigue, pain and body perception.

Preoperative anxiety is a significant concern, particularly among women undergoing procedures that may alter body image, such as a mastectomy. If untreated, this anxiety can lead to complications, underscoring its importance in preoperative care. Identifying nursing interventions with minimal side effects is crucial, given the potential of modern treatments to exacerbate anxiety. Therefore, this study aims to determine and compare the effect of aromatherapy and music therapy on physiological indices and preoperative anxiety of female mastectomy candidates. A three-group randomized clinical trial was conducted on 99 female mastectomy candidates at the Cancer Institute of Imam Hospital, Tehran. Participants were selected using convenience sampling and randomly assigned to aromatherapy, music therapy, or control groups. The intervention included 30min of receptive music therapy using selected pieces or inhalation aromatherapy with Damask rose, while the control group received usual nursing care. Anxiety levels were measured using the NVAAS scale and physiological indicators, including vital signs and salivary cortisol, before and 10min after the intervention. Data analysis was performed using SPSS version 16. The findings of this research show that all groups experienced an improvement in anxiety scores, but the impact of the two intervention groups was more significant and effective (p < 0.001). Alterations in physiological indices showed no statistically significant difference in the control group (p > 0.05). Physiological indices variations, except SpO2 (p > 0.05), indicate that both intervention groups were significant (p ≤ 0.05). Aromatherapy has also been effective in improving patients' heart rate (p = 0.004). This study demonstrated that the use of two complementary medicine approaches, inhalation aromatherapy and receptive music therapy, can be effective in reducing preoperative anxiety in patients and improving physiological indices. Employing such noninvasive approaches with minimal side effects and favorable for patients in clinical settings is recommended. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: IRCT20230221057482N1.

Comparing the effects of geranium aromatherapy and music therapy on the anxiety level of patients undergoing inguinal hernia surgery: A clinical trial

To investigate the effect of music therapy on infants who underwent mechanical ventilation after cardiac surgery. A prospective randomized controlled study was conducted in a provincial hospital in southeast China. The subjects were randomly divided into the music therapy (MT) group and the control group. Both groups were given standardized sedation treatment and routine nursing. Infants in the MT group received 60 min of MT three times a day. The sedation medication, Richmond sedation agitation scale (RASS) score, incidence of delirium, mechanical ventilation duration, length of cardiac intensive care unit (CICU) stay, restraint belt use time, and successful ventilation withdrawal rate were collected. Infants in the control group had a higher total amount of on-demand midazolam (p = .039). Infants in the MT group had a significantly lower incidence of delirium, shorter mechanical ventilation duration, and restraint band use time (p = .047, p = .046, and p = .038, respectively). Although infants in the MT group had a higher success rate of ventilation withdrawal, lower RASS scores, and shorter ICU stay, the difference was not statistically significant (p = .427, p = .585, and p = .068, respectively). MT in the ICU can reduce the use of on-demand sedative drugs, shorten mechanical ventilation, and reduce the occurrence of delirium in infants who underwent mechanical ventilation after cardiac surgery. MT is a safe and reliable treatment and worthy of clinical application.

Background Social anxiety is a common psychological problem among teenagers, manifested as excessive fear and self-awareness in social situations. Social anxiety hinders the development of teenagers' social skills, thereby causing serious negative impacts on interpersonal relationships and future development. Music therapy is an alternative treatment method that provides a non-threatening environment for emotional exploration and social interaction. Involving teenagers in music activities through music therapy can alleviate their anxiety and enhance their potential for emotional expression. Therefore, by studying and analyzing the therapeutic effect of music therapy on social anxiety and its impact on the improvement of social skills, it is expected to provide a certain theoretical basis for mental health guidance in colleges and universities. Methods Randomly select 100 teenagers diagnosed with social anxiety from a certain university. Participants were randomly assigned to the music therapy group, totaling 50 people, and the traditional therapy group, totaling 50 people. The music therapy group received an 8-week music therapy intervention, while the traditional treatment group received no intervention at all. Before and after the intervention, the social anxiety levels and social skills of the participants were evaluated using the Social Anxiety Scale and the Social Skills Scoring System. Results The improvement of social anxiety and social skills in each group is shown in Table 1. As can be seen from Table 1, the music therapy group showed significant improvements in both social anxiety and social skills (p&amp;lt;.01), and the social anxiety score decreased from 62.4 ± 6.1 before the intervention to 45.8 ± 5.3, while the social skills score increased from 28.7 ± 4.2 to 38.9 ± 4.6. Although the traditional treatment group had an improvement effect on teenagers' social anxiety and social skills, the improvement effect was poorer compared to the music therapy group. This result indicates that music therapy has a positive effect on alleviating social anxiety and enhancing social skills. Music therapy effectively improves social anxiety and social skills by providing a safe and supportive environment, enabling teenagers to express their emotions through music, enhance their self-awareness and social interaction skills. Discussion Research results show that music therapy can significantly improve the social skills of teenagers with social anxiety. The effect of music therapy stems from its unique emotional expression and social interaction mechanism, providing teenagers with a non-verbal communication method, which helps to reduce social anxiety and enhance social skills. Future research can further explore the long-term effects of music therapy and how to combine it with other treatment methods to provide more comprehensive mental health support. Furthermore, exploring the specific mechanisms by which music therapy affects social skills can provide valuable insights for the development of targeted intervention measures.

Background and Purpose:Cancer patients often suffer from anxiety and depression. Various methods are used to alleviate anxiety and depression, but most of them have side effects. Music therapy can be used as a noninvasive method to reduce anxiety and depression. This study aimed to examine the effect of music therapy on anxiety and depression in patients with cancer.Materials and Methods:This quasi-experimental study was conducted attaching hospitals in Urmia city. A total number of sixty patients with depression and anxiety were recruited using random sampling method and divided into two groups of control and intervention. Patients in intervention group listened to light music at least 20 min per day for 3 days. The degree of patients’ anxiety and depression was assessed by Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale at baseline and 3 days after music therapy. Data were analyzed by SPSS version 13 using t-test, Pearson, and ANOVA tests.Results:The results showed no significant differences between demographic variable of intervention and control groups. Our findings indicated a significant decrease in the level of depression and anxiety among intervention group. There were significant relationships between anxiety, depression, and sex (P < 0.001, r = 0.42) as well as education (P = 0.003, r = 0.37).Conclusion:This study revealed positive effects of music therapy on decreasing level of depression and anxiety in patients with cancer. Therefore, it is recommended to include music therapy in the nursing care.

ESRA19-0696 Non-pharmacological methods for comfort and pain management (virtual reality, musicotherapy, hypnosis,……)

To determine the effect of music therapy and verbal relaxation on state anxiety and anxiety-induced physiological manifestations among patients with cancer before and after chemotherapy. Cancer and its treatment provoke a series of changes in the emotional sphere of the patient's anxiety. Music therapy and verbal relaxation had reported the anxiety reduction effect on patients with cancer receiving chemotherapy. Few studies have been undertaken comparing music therapy and verbal relaxation in differentiating high-normal state anxiety subsample. A randomised controlled trial and permuted block design were used. Outpatient chemotherapy clinic operated by a University medical centre in southern Taiwan. Ninety-eight patients were randomised into three groups: the music therapy group received one-hour single music session; the verbal relaxation group received 30 minutes of guided relaxation; the control group received usual care. Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Instrument, Emotional Visual Analog Scale, three biobehavioural indicators: skin temperature, heart rate and consciousness level were measured during and after chemotherapy. Music therapy had a greater positive effect on postchemotherapy anxiety than verbal relaxation and control groups and a significantly increase in skin temperature. Patients with high state anxiety receiving music therapy had a greater drop in postchemotherapy anxiety than did the normal state anxiety subsample. Both music and verbal relaxation therapy are effective in reducing chemotherapy-induced anxiety. Thirty minutes of intervention initiates anxiety reduction. Patients with high state anxiety receiving chemotherapy obtain the most benefit from music or verbal relaxation. Prior to chemotherapy, patients with high state anxiety must be sorted from all patients as they are more responsive to interventions. Oncology nurses can offer music and verbal relaxation as adjuvant interventions to reduce chemotherapy-induced anxiety and enhance the quality of care.

Objective To investigate effects of music therapy on the anxiety level of patients recovering from acute myocardial infarction. Methods The population of this study was composed of 88 patients diagnosed with acute myocardial infarction in CCU department of hospital. Eighty-eight patients were allocated with random. Forty-one patients formed the control group, they were given routine medication method; the other 47 patients formed the experimental group who received music therapy intervention except routine medication method. The level of patients' anxiety was compared before and after intervention in experimental and control group. The homoscedasticity t-test of two independent samples was used to detect if they have statistical significance between experimental group and control group. Results The level of SAS in experimental group (music therapy) and control group were midrange level before intervention. After music therapy intervention, the level of Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS) degrades obviously (P < 0. 005) only in experimental group (music therapy). The level of SAS in experimental group was slight level, but the level of SAS in control group remained midrange level. The score of SAS in experimental group was lower compared with control group after two weeks intervention. The discrepancies were statistically significant. Conclusions Music therapy can degrade level of Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS) of patients recovering from acute myocardial infarction. Key words: Myocardial Infarction; Music Therapy; Anxiety Level

The aim of this study is to compare the effect of group music therapy practices on test anxiety and the effectiveness of the music lesson taught in accordance with the united annual lesson plan in high school seniors who are preparing for the university entrance exam. Two months before the exam, 49 students studying in the last year of Osmangazi Anatolian High School in Afyonkarahisar province in the 2022-2023 academic years participated in the research. Students were randomly assigned to “Music Therapy” and “Music Lesson” groups. The music therapy group was included in the group music therapy process for 8 weeks, while the music lesson group took only the elective music course in the curriculum. “Westside Exam Anxiety Scale” was used as a data collection tool in the study, and comparisons between groups were made with independent sample t-test, chi-square analysis and factorial mixed design analysis of variance methods. In addition, semi-structured interviews were conducted with the students and the effect of the music therapy sessions was evaluated with the opinions of the participants. In conclusion; it has been observed that students can control their test anxiety through music therapy practices and strengthen their internal audit-based motivation by developing a foresight through affirmation. Moreover; it was stated by the students in the therapy group that peer interaction, music culture and music-based expression skills improved, and that music therapy sessions had a positive effect on them. It was determined that the students in the Music Lesson group experienced a certain increase in their anxiety levels with the approaching of the exam date, and it was difficult for the students to make sense of the music lesson outputs for the curriculum. In this study, it was determined that goal-oriented music therapy practices performed in the school environment were effective in reducing test anxiety. It is thought that the results of the study will contribute to the national and international literature.

BackgroundGlobally, the demographic shift towards an aging population leads to significant challenges in healthcare systems, specifically due to an increasing incidence of multimorbidity resulting in polypharmacy among the elderly. Simultaneously, sleep disorders are a common complaint for elderly people. A treatment with pharmacological therapies often leads to side effects causing a high potential for dependency. Within this context, there is a high need to explore non-pharmacological therapeutic approaches. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of acupuncture and music therapy, both individually and combined as a multimodal therapy, in the treatment of sleep disorders in individuals aged 70 years and older.MethodsWe conduct a confirmatory randomized controlled trial using a two-factorial study design. A total of n = 100 elderly people receive evidence-based standard care information for age-related sleep disorders. Beyond that, patients are randomly assigned into four groups of n = 25 each to receive acupuncture, receptive music therapy with a monochord, multimodal therapy with both acupuncture and music therapy, or no further therapy. The study’s primary outcome measurement is the improvement in sleep quality as assessed by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) (global score), at the end of intervention. Additionally, depression scores (Geriatric Depression Scale), health-related quality of life (Short-Form-Health Survey-12), neurovegetative activity measured via heart rate variability, and safety data are collected as secondary outcomes. Using a mixed-methods approach, a qualitative process evaluation will be conducted to complement the quantitative data.DiscussionThe study is ongoing and the last patient in is expected to be enrolled in April 2024. The results can provide valuable insights into the effectiveness of non-pharmacological interventions for sleep disorders among the elderly, contributing to a more personalized and holistic approach in geriatric healthcare.Trial registrationGerman Clinical Trials Register (DRKS00031886).

Introduction: Music and massage therapy are among the approaches of complementary medicine. Patients with cancer have been hugely encouraged in recent years to use complementary medicine to relieve chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting. The present study was conducted to determine the effect of music and periorbital massage therapy on chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting in patients with gastrointestinal cancers.Methods: The present single-blind clinical trial study was conducted on 60 patients with gastrointestinal cancer undergoing chemotherapy who were randomly assigned to control and music plus massage therapy groups. Two interventions were concurrently carried out on patients in music plus massage therapy group while receiving chemotherapy medication, but the control group received no intervention. Rhodes questionnaire was used to assess nausea and vomiting before and 24 hours after chemotherapy. Data were analyzed using descriptive and analytical statistical tests (Chi-square and t-tests).Results: Music plus periorbital massage therapy significantly reduced nausea and vomiting in patients undergoing chemotherapy compared to the control group.Conclusion: According to the results, using music plus periorbital massage improves nausea and vomiting in patients undergoing chemotherapy, and can be considered as a complementary medicine method in conjunction with other medicinal therapies to relieve symptoms of patients with cancer.

Background: Recent research found evidence supporting music therapy for hospitalized children with chronic diseases. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of music therapy on hospitalized children’s vital signs. Methods: In this prospective study, children with chronic gastroenterological and nephrological diseases received active or receptive music therapy two to four times a week until discharge from hospital at the pediatric special care unit (SCU) and pediatric intensive care unit (ICU). Baseline and post-therapy heart rate, oxygen saturation and blood pressure were recorded and analyzed as control values at three points on the same day when the children were alone in their patient room at rest. Results: A total of 83 children, median 3 age of years (range one month to eighteen years) received music therapy. In total, 377 music therapy sessions were treated: 200 receptive therapy (78 ICU, 122 SCU) and 177 with active therapy (0 ICU, 177 SCU). Music therapy interventions showed changes in vital signs during music therapy sessions. After music therapy, heart rates decreased by 18 beats per minute (95% confidence interval (CI), −19.4 to (−16.8)), oxygen saturation increased by 2.3% (95% CI, 2.2 to 2.5), systolic blood pressure decreased by 9.2 (95% CI, −10.6 to −7.7) and diastolic blood pressure decreased by 7.9 (95% CI, −9.6 to −6.3). When music therapy was applied at the SCU (ICU), heart rates significantly reduced by 17.9 (18.9) beats per min, oxygen saturation increased by 2.4% (2.1%) and blood pressure reduced by 9.2 (2.8) mmHg (systolic) and 7.9 (0.3) mmHg (diastolic). Almost all control values were better than directly before the intervention. However, after music therapy intervention, the children showed better values in vital signs compared to being alone in their patient room. Conclusion: Music therapy is an added value for children with kidney and liver/gastrointestinal diseases during their hospital stay.

Purpose: There was not yet a published systematic review on the effect of music therapy on the urodynamic study (UDS) procedure. To address this, we performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials in the effect of music therapy on UDS. Materials and methods: A comprehensive literature search was performed in several databases including PubMed, Scopus, and Clinical Key. Randomized clinical studies evaluating the effect of music therapy on UDS were included. Meta-analysis was performed to evaluate the effect of music therapy in several outcomes, including pain, satisfaction, anxiety, and willingness to repeat the procedure. Meta-regression was performed to evaluate factors influencing the willingness to repeat the procedure. Statistical evaluations in this study were performed using Revman 5.4 and Stata version 16. Results: A total of 6 randomized controlled trials were included in this study with a total of 509 patients undergoing the UDS procedure. The mean age of the participants was in the range of 50 to 70 years old. Our result revealed that there was a significant association between music therapy with decreasing anxiety (mean difference [MD], −5; 95% confidence interval [CI],: −9.89 to 0.11; P = 0.04) and willingness to repeat the procedure (MD, 1.04; 95% CI, 0.06–2.02; P = 0.04). Moreover, there were no significant differences found between pain, and satisfaction scores between the music therapy group and standard therapy group. Willingness to repeat the session was negatively correlated with periprocedural duration (coefficient −0.1469; P = 0.034). Conclusion: The use of music therapy during UDS could significantly decrease anxiety and increase willingness to repeat the procedure. The effect of music therapy in reducing pain and increasing satisfaction was not proven in this study. However, we found that music therapy could potentially increase satisfaction in patients undergoing UDS. The role of music therapy should be discussed in future guideline recommendations during UDS.