scholarly journals Effects of Music Therapy on Patients with Dementia—A Systematic Review

Geriatrics ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 62
Author(s):  
Hei Long Lam ◽  
Wai Tak Victor Li ◽  
Ismail Laher ◽  
Roger Y. Wong

Dementia is an increasingly common syndrome and while pharmacotherapy is available, its potential benefit is limited, especially in non-cognitive outcomes. Non-pharmacotherapy such as music therapy is potentially associated with improved outcomes. We assessed the effects of music therapy on patients with dementia to evaluate its potential benefits on dementia. Two independent reviewers searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, CENTRAL, and ClinicalTrials.gov databases for clinical trials, using the keywords “music therapy” and “dementia”. Study outcomes included cognitive function, behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD), and quality of life. A total of 82 studies were included, of which 43 were interventional clinical trials, and 39 were systematic reviews or meta-analyses. Significant improvements in verbal fluency occurred after music therapy, with significant reductions in anxiety, depression, and apathy. There were no significant improvements in cognition or daily functioning, and the results on quality of life and agitation were ambiguous. Limitations of studies included low patient numbers, lack of standardized music therapy, and high heterogeneity in outcomes. More large-scale clinical trials would allow for clearer conclusions on the benefits of music therapy in patients with dementia.

2021 ◽  
pp. bmjspcare-2021-003163
Author(s):  
Ronald Chow ◽  
Robert Bergner ◽  
Elizabeth Prsic

ObjectivesSeveral reviews and meta-analyses have reported on music therapy for physical and emotional well-being among patients with cancer. However, the duration of music therapy offered may range from less than 1 hour to several hours. The aim of this study is to assess whether longer duration of music therapy is associated with different levels of improvement in physical and mental well-being.MethodsTen studies were included in this paper, reporting on the endpoints of quality of life and pain. A meta-regression, using an inverse-variance model, was performed to assess the impact of total music therapy time. A sensitivity analysis was conducted for the outcome of pain, among low risk of bias trials.ResultsOur meta-regression found a trend for positive association between greater total music therapy time and improved better pain control, but it was not statistically significant.ConclusionThere is a need for more high-quality studies examining music therapy for patients with cancer, with a focus on total music therapy time and patient-related outcomes including quality of life and pain.


Author(s):  
Soo Liang Ooi ◽  
Gillian Drew ◽  
Sok Cheon Pak

Introduction: Dementia is a cognitive decline with patients often exhibit behavioural and psychological symptoms, severely affecting the quality of life and placing a heavy burden on caregivers. Acupressure has reported benefits for dementia. This study aims to critically review the available evidence for its use as a non-pharmacological therapy. Methods: Systematic search of major research databases for human clinical trials using acupressure as an intervention for dementia patients was conducted. Results were synthesised for the effects of acupressure on various outcome measures of interest for dementia.Results: Twelve clinical trials (N=973), including eight randomised control studies, were included in this review. The study sample was predominantly institutionalised residents with moderate to severe dementia. Baihui (GV20), Shenmen (HT7), Fengchi (GB20), Neiguan (PC6), Sanyinjiao (SP6), and Yingtang (EX-HN3) were the most used acupoints for intervention. Acupressure techniques employed in these clinical trials vary greatly with no standardised approach. This review finds inconsistent evidence in the effectiveness of acupressure in reducing agitation and behavioural disturbances. However, the treatment appears to improve their ease of care and reduce physical stress. Affixing acupressure devices on selected acupoints can also potentially improve psychiatric pain, anxiety, and depression. Long-term (6 months) treatment can potentially improve the cognitive function, activities of daily living, and quality of life of patients with mild to moderate dementia. The effect of acupressure on sleep disturbances remains unclear. Conclusion: More high-quality research on acupressure is needed to fill the gaps in knowledge and inform better care for dementia patients in the future.


2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lingzi Zhang

The number of people in the United States diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is projected to increase, posing an urgent need for more effective treatments. Music therapy (MT), a clinical treatment that primarily uses music and involves no medication, is known to evoke memory of music-related experiences among patients with AD and dementia. To better understand the effects of MT on patients with AD and related dementia, I conducted a literature review. The findings suggest that MT is effective in promoting well-being as well as the mental and physical health of patients with AD and related dementia, although no significant effect on patients’ cognitive functions was found. Considering the increasing demand for care and treatment for patients with AD and related dementia, MT should be employed in conjunction with other forms of treatment, in order to improve the patients’ quality of life and relieve the burden on families. More detailed research is needed to help achieve a better understanding of the potential benefits of MT on patients with AD and related dementia.


2000 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 421-421 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan D. Cheng ◽  
James Hitt ◽  
Bogda Koczwara ◽  
Kevin A. Schulman ◽  
Caroline B. Burnett ◽  
...  

PURPOSE: Quality of life (QOL) is increasingly recognized as a critical cancer-treatment outcome measure, but little is known about the impact of QOL on the patient decision-making process. A pilot study was conducted in an effort to (1) measure the expectations of patients, physicians, and research nurses regarding the potential benefits and toxicities from experimental and standard therapies, and (2) determine the relationship of QOL to patient perceptions regarding treatment options. METHODS: Thirty cancer patients enrolling in phase I clinical trials, their physicians, and their research nurses were administered questionnaires that assessed demographics, QOL, and treatment expectations. RESULTS: Compared with their physicians, patients overestimated potential benefits and toxicities from experimental therapy (mean expected benefit, 59.8% v 23.8%, P < .01; mean expected toxicity, 29.8% v 16.0%, P < .01). Patients estimated a greater potential for benefit (59.8% v 36.8%, P < .01) and less potential for toxicity (29.8% v 45.6%, P = .01) for experimental therapy, compared with standard therapy. Short Form- 36 general health perception correlated with patient perception of potential benefit from experimental therapy (r = .48, P = .01). CONCLUSION: Participants in phase I clinical trial have high expectations regarding the success of experimental therapy and discount potential toxicity. Patient QOL may affect the expectation of benefit from experimental therapy and, ultimately, treatment choice. Understanding the interactions between QOL and patient expectations may guide the development of improved strategies to present appropriate information to patients considering early-phase clinical trials.


2020 ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
Wally J. Bartfay ◽  
Andra Duff-Woskosky ◽  
Julie Earle ◽  
Marina Ali ◽  
Sheri Horsburgh ◽  
...  

Introduction: There are over 100 different forms of dementia which is a broad term employed to describe symptoms effecting the brain caused by neurological and vascular diseases. It is a neurological disease that results in a decline in cognitive, social and physical disability which currently has no cure. The prevalence is expected to triple by 2050, due to the aging population trends in Canada. It has been estimated that 24.3 million people have dementia, and there are 4.6 million new cases annually, which accounts for one case every 3 seconds globally. Objectives: This systematic review examines the effects of music therapy on behavioral psychological symptoms of dementia and the quality of life. Methods: A systematic literature search was performed in Ovid Medline, CINAHL and PsycINFO from January 2000 until August 2019. A data abstraction template was employed to for data management and organization. We included all peer reviewed, English articles, RCT’s, systematic reviews, meta-analysis, abstract pool and all or some key words. Results: From 968 potentially relevant records, 55 studies were evaluated for eligibility, and 20 met the inclusion criteria. Overall the studies showed a significant impact on mitigating agitation, reducing BPSD and improving memory, cognition, QOL and decreasing anxiety and symptoms associated with depression. Conclusion: The role of musical interventions found in the literature demonstrates the benefits of music therapy on dementia patients due to its positive effects on BPSD, quality of life and other behavioral symptoms.


2020 ◽  
Vol 75 (2) ◽  
pp. 106-114
Author(s):  
Denis S. Tyufilin ◽  
Ivan A. Deev ◽  
Olga S. Kobyakova ◽  
Ekaterina K. Tagina ◽  
Evgeny S. Kulikov

The high prevalence of allergic rhinitis in a population, the link between this disease and asthma, and a significantly higher economic burden of the disease, causing a negative impact on the patients quality of life, have resulted in increased attention to the problem of allergic rhinitis at the global level. Nowadays optimal allergic rhinitis treatment and management include disease control, consisting of assessing the level of disease control and selecting a treatment scheme based on this assessment. Current studies are focused on the development of questionnaires and testing systems for assessing the level of disease control, especially given the absence of a standardized control assessment procedure tool. Studies also address the possibility of using the indicators of quality of life to measure the level of disease control. The present review deals with the issue of understanding of using this parameter to measure the effectiveness of pharmacotherapy of different groups of patients with allergic rhinitis. The review includes randomized clinical trials covering the period 20102019 including the following keywords: Rhinitis Quality of Life, Allergic Rhinitis Quality of Life, Allergic Rhinitis Questionnaire, RQLQ. In total, 4.407 publications were identified and analyzed, only 60 publications were selected for comparative analysis after a second review. According to the results, in general, it can be concluded that the indicator of the quality of life allows us to identify the advantages of pharmacotherapeutic regimens in the long term (for example, allergen-specific immunotherapy, alternative therapy). Moreover, it demonstrates a correlation with objectivistic indicators in randomized clinical trials of standard treatment. It is still necessary, however, to address the question of whether it would be possible to use the assessment of the quality of life as a part of allergic rhinitis treatment in everyday clinical practice to select a group of drugs, their dosages, and correct regimes in dynamics. Using the indicator of the quality of life for managing patients with allergic rhinitis in Russia requires tremendous work in terms of cross-cultural adaptation of questionnaires and large-scale population-based pharmacoepidemiological studies.


2017 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 159-166 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bastianina Contena ◽  
Stefano Taddei

Abstract. Borderline Intellectual Functioning (BIF) refers to a global IQ ranging from 71 to 84, and it represents a condition of clinical attention for its association with other disorders and its influence on the outcomes of treatments and, in general, quality of life and adaptation. Furthermore, its definition has changed over time causing a relevant clinical impact. For this reason, a systematic review of the literature on this topic can promote an understanding of what has been studied, and can differentiate what is currently attributable to BIF from that which cannot be associated with this kind of intellectual functioning. Using Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) criteria, we have conducted a review of the literature about BIF. The results suggest that this condition is still associated with mental retardation, and only a few studies have focused specifically on this condition.


Author(s):  
A. Babirad

Cerebrovascular diseases are a problem of the world today, and according to the forecast, the problem of the near future arises. The main risk factors for the development of ischemic disorders of the cerebral circulation include oblique and aging, arterial hypertension, smoking, diabetes mellitus and heart disease. An effective strategy for the prevention of cerebrovascular events is based on the implementation of large-scale risk control measures, including the use of antiagregant and anticoagulant therapy, invasive interventions such as atheromectomy, angioplasty and stenting. In this connection, the efforts of neurologists, cardiologists, angiosurgery, endocrinologists and other specialists are the basis for achieving an acceptable clinical outcome. A review of the SF-36 method for assessing the quality of life in patients with the effects of transient ischemic stroke is presented. The assessment of quality of life is recognized in world medical practice and research, an indicator that is also used to assess the quality of the health system and in general sociological research.


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