Effects of Music on Agitation in Dementia: A Meta-analysis

Journal

Frontiers in Psychology

Year

2017

Abstract

Agitation is a common problem in patients suffering from dementia and encompasses a variety of behaviors such as repetitive acts, restlessness, wandering, and aggressive behaviors. Agitation reduces the probability of positive social interaction and increases the psychological and organizational burden. While medical interventions are common, there is need for complementary or alternative methods. Music intervention has been brought forward as a promising method to reduce agitation in dementia. While interventions, target groups and research designs differ, there has so far not been a systematic overview assessing the effect of music intervention for agitation in patients with dementia. A meta-analysis was conducted in order to investigate possible effects of music interventions. Twelve studies met inclusion criteria. Music intervention had a medium overall effect on agitation in dementia, suggesting robust clinical relevance. While the moderate number of studies does not allow for further differentiation between sub-types of music intervention, the sub-group comparisons indicated promising pathways for future systematic reviews. This meta-analysis is the first systematic and quantitative overview supporting clinically and statistically robust effects of music intervention on agitation in dementia. The analysis provides further arguments for this non-pharmacological approach and highlights needs for future systematic research reviews for the investigation of intervention types. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved)

Music and Health Institute Terms

Agitation; Alzheimer's and Related Dementias; Behavioral State; Mental Health; Music and Healing; Neurodegenerative Disorders

Indexed Terms

music intervention; agitation; dementia; meta-analysis; therapy; Intervention; Treatment Effectiveness Evaluation

Study Type

Meta-Analysis; Quantitative Methods

Disciplines

Psychiatric and Mental Health

Document Type

Article

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