Music therapy with a monochord in multiple sclerosis (“MUTIMS”): A randomized, controlled, rater-blinded trial

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.

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/Aims: Numerous studies have indicated the value of music therapy in the management of patients with Alzheimer’s disease. A recent pilot study demonstrated the feasibility and usefulness of a new music therapy technique. The aim of this controlled, randomised study was to assess the effects of this new music therapy technique on anxiety and depression in patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer-type dementia. Methods: This was a single-centre, comparative, controlled, randomised study, with blinded assessment of its results. The duration of follow-up was 24 weeks. The treated group (n = 15) participated in weekly sessions of individual, receptive music therapy. The musical style of the session was chosen by the patient. The validated ‘U’ technique was employed. The control group (n = 15) participated under the same conditions in reading sessions. The principal endpoint, measured at weeks 1, 4, 8, 16 and 24, was the level of anxiety (Hamilton Scale). Changes in the depression score (Geriatric Depression Scale) were also analyzed as a secondary endpoint. Results: Significant improvements in anxiety (p < 0.01) and depression (p < 0.01) were observed in the music therapy group as from week 4 and until week 16. The effect of music therapy was sustained for up to 8 weeks after the discontinuation of sessions between weeks 16 and 24 (p < 0.01). Conclusion: These results confirm the valuable effect of music therapy on anxiety and depression in patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease. This new music therapy technique is simple to implement and can easily be integrated in a multidisciplinary programme for the management of Alzheimer’s disease.

Impact of music therapy and hand massage in the pediatric intensive care unit on pain, fear and stress: Randomized controlled trial

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

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.

BackgroundCritically ill patients are exposed to several physical and emotional stressors, needing analgesic and sedative drugs to tolerate invasive procedures and the harsh intensive care unit (ICU) environment. However, this pharmacological therapy presents several side effects: guidelines suggest using a light sedation target, keeping critically ill patients calm, conscious, and cooperative. Personalized music therapy (MT) can reduce stress and anxiety, decreasing the need for drugs. The aim of the current investigation is to compare different approaches for MT in the ICU: a personalized approach, with music selected by patients/families and listened through headphones, or a generalized approach, with ambient music chosen by a music therapist and transmitted through speakers. Primary outcome: number of days “free from neuroactive drugs” in the first 28 days after ICU admission. Secondary outcomes: total amount of neuroactive drugs (midazolam, propofol, morphine, fentanyl, haloperidol), stress during ICU stay (sleep at night, anxiety and agitation, use of physical restraints, stressors evaluated at discharge), the feasibility of generalized MT (interruptions requested by staff members and patients/families).MethodsRandomized, controlled trial with three groups of critically ill adults: a control group, without MT; a personalized MT group, with music for at least 2 h per day; a generalized MT group, with music for 12.5 h/day, subdivided into fifteen 50-min periods.DiscussionOne hundred fifty-three patients are expected to be enrolled. This publication presents the rationale and the study methods, particularly the strategies used to build the generalized MT playlist. From a preliminary analysis, generalized MT seems feasible in the ICU and is positively received by staff members, critically ill patients, and families.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03280329. September 12, 2017.

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.

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

Although existing studies have shown that both repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) and music therapy have advantages in the treatment of non-fluent aphasia, the efficacy of the combination of these two methods remains to be investigated. To investigate the clinical efficacy of low-frequency rTMS combined with music therapy on language function and depression in patients with non-fluent aphasia after stroke. A single-blind parallel randomised controlled trial was conducted. Sixty patients (mean duration = 93.78 days) with non-fluent aphasia after stroke were randomly divided into a traditional therapy group (n = 20), a music therapy group (n = 20) and a combined therapy group (n = 20, 1Hz). The language function and depression were evaluated before and 3 weeks after treatment with the Chinese version of the Western Aphasia Battery scale, Boston Diagnostic Aphasia Examination scale and Stroke Aphasic Depression Questionnaire Hospital Version scale. The combined therapy group was significantly better in all outcomes than the traditional therapy group and was significantly better in depression than the music therapy group. The music therapy group was significantly better in repetition and depression than the traditional therapy group. Language improvement was positively correlated with depression improvement. For adverse events, only two patients in the combined therapy group showed slight dizziness during rTMS treatment and their symptoms improved after rest. Our preliminary randomised controlled study indicates that low-frequency rTMS combined with music therapy is feasible and safe in improving language function and depression in non-fluent aphasia patients after stroke. What is already known on this subject Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) and music therapy respectively have advantages in the treatment of non-fluent aphasia after stroke, but whether the combination of the two methods is more effective is still unknown. What this paper adds to the existing knowledge This is one of the first randomised control trials to investigate whether the clinical efficacy of low-frequency rTMS combined music therapy for non-fluent aphasia is better. The findings show that low-frequency rTMS combined music therapy is superior to traditional therapy in spontaneous speech, auditory comprehension, repetition, naming, aphasia quotient, functional language level and depression, and superior to music therapy in depression, while music therapy is superior to traditional therapy in repetition and depression. What are the potential or actual clinical implications of this work? Low-frequency rTMS combined music therapy may be a better method for treatment of non-fluent aphasia.

Background: Pain causes mental-psychological injuries in babies by affecting neuronal development. This study was conducted to evaluate effect of music therapy and Swaddling on physiological indicators and pain intensity caused by blood sampling in preterm neonates. Method and Materials: This randomized controlled clinical trial was performed on 51 preterm neonates admitted to NICU of Persian Gulf Hospital in Bushehr. The newborns were divided into music, swaddling and control groups by random block allocation method. For neonates in music therapy group, music was played from 5 minutes before to two minutes after blood sampling, while neonates in swaddling group were swaddled with a thin sheet from 10 minutes before blood sampling to two minutes after. In all groups, HR and o 2 sat were measured 30 seconds before, during, 30, 60, 90, 120 seconds after blood sampling. Also, from 30 second before blood sampling to 2 minutes after, neonates' faces were filmed and pain assessment checklist was completed each 30 seconds. Data analyzed using Kruskall Wallis H and ordinal regression tests . Results: There was a significant difference between pain score in intervention groups, so that pain score in Swaddling group was lower than music group at 90 and 120 seconds. In intervention groups, HR changes were lower than control group. No significant difference was observed between three groups regarding o 2 saturation. Conclusion: Results showed that swaddling and music therapy can reduce pain caused by blood sampling and keep vital signs more stable, but swaddling has a greater effect on reducing pain in newborns.

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.

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.

Modern management of Parkinson's disease (PD) aims to obtain symptom control, to reduce clinical disability, and to improve quality of life. Music acts as a specific stimulus to obtain motor and emotional responses by combining movement and stimulation of different sensory pathways. We explored the efficacy of active music therapy (MT) on motor and emotional functions in patients with PD. This prospective, randomized, controlled, single-blinded study lasted 3 months. It consisted of weekly sessions of MT and physical therapy (PT). Thirty-two patients with PD, all stable responders to levodopa and in Hoehn and Yahr stage 2 or 3, were randomly assigned to two groups of 16 patients each. We assessed severity of PD with the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale, emotional functions with the Happiness Measure, and quality of life using the Parkinson's Disease Quality of Life Questionnaire. MT sessions consisted of choral singing, voice exercise, rhythmic and free body movements, and active music involving collective invention. PT sessions included a series of passive stretching exercises, specific motor tasks, and strategies to improve balance and gait. MT had a significant overall effect on bradykinesia as measured by the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (p < .034). Post-MT session findings were consistent with motor improvement, especially in bradykinesia items (p < .0001). Over time, changes on the Happiness Measure confirmed a beneficial effect of MT on emotional functions (p < .0001). Improvements in activities of daily living and in quality of life were also documented in the MT group (p < .0001). PT improved rigidity (p < .0001). MT is effective on motor, affective, and behavioral functions. We propose active MT as a new method for inclusion in PD rehabilitation programs.