Music therapy for dementia symptoms.

BACKGROUND

While music/music therapy does not represent a treatment of dementia, its use is based on a possible beneficial effect on symptoms including social, emotional and cognitive skills and for decreasing behavioral problems of individuals with dementias. Thus, there are clear implications for patients' and caregivers' quality of life. However, quantification and documentation of the evidence of this effect is necessary. Professional music therapists are accountable for providing efficient, beneficial treatment. Furthermore, music therapists are responsible for assessing, designing and implementing music therapy treatments, monitoring client progress, and reformulating their practice according to data collected and new advancements in the field. If they wait until sufficient valid, empirical data on all aspects of a disability or music response are available before attempting to design a therapy session, they may well reach retirement age before even one client can be served. On the other hand, promulgating the efficacy of music therapy in general, or of specific music therapy techniques, in the absence of any substantiation other than intuition or tradition borders on professional recklessness.

OBJECTIVES

To gather and evaluate the evidence for the effectiveness of music therapy for dementia symptoms.

SEARCH STRATEGY

All available sources of references were searched in March 2000 for randomised controlled trials of music therapy used as an intervention in dementia. The search terms included 'controlled trial or study, music, therapy, dementia, Alzheimer's, cognitive impairment' and derivatives of these.

SELECTION CRITERIA

The reviewers assessed the methodological quality of the studies available for inclusion. The criteria used are presence and adequacy of a control condition, independent assessment of patients' performance (ie standardized ratings carried out by a person other than the music therapist) and the number of participants (no fewer than three).

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

No randomised controlled trials, or trials with quantitative data suitable for analysis were found.

MAIN RESULTS

The research into music therapy to date has lacked methodological design rigour. However, the research evidence available provides sufficient grounds on which to justify further investigations into the use of music therapy in dementia patients. In this context, the reviewers discuss some of the issues and research from the studies that were considered for inclusion.

REVIEWER'S CONCLUSIONS: This review was not able to identify reliable empirical evidence on which to justify the use of music therapy as a treatment for dementia. However, the evidence available suggests that music therapy may be beneficial in treating or managing dementia symptoms, and the predominant conclusion of this review is the highlighting of the need for better designed studies of the intervention.