A Randomized Controlled Trial Exploring the Effect of Music on Quality of Life and Depression in Older People with Dementia

This randomized controlled trial investigated the effect of live music on quality of life and depression in 47 older people with dementia using the Dementia Quality of Life and Geriatric Depression Scale. The control/reading group reported higher mid-point feelings of belonging than the music group (F(1, 45) = 6.672, p < .05). Sub-analyses of ≥ 50 per cent music session attendance found improvements in self-esteem over time (F(2, 46) = 4.471, p < .05). Participants with scores that were suggestive of increased depressive symptoms had fewer depressive symptoms over time (F(2, 22) = 8.129, p < .01). Findings suggest music and reading activities can improve self-esteem, belonging and depression in some older people with dementia.

[1]  A. Stewart,et al.  Conceptualization and measurement of quality of life in dementia: the dementia quality of life instrument (DQoL). , 1999, The Gerontologist.

[2]  J. Mintzer,et al.  Time for Change: The Role of Nonpharmacological Interventions in Treating Behavior Problems in Nursing Home Residents With Dementia , 2005, Alzheimer disease and associated disorders.

[3]  Marco Trabucchi,et al.  Efficacy of Music Therapy in the Treatment of Behavioral and Psychiatric Symptoms of Dementia , 2008, Alzheimer disease and associated disorders.

[4]  G. Bulechek,et al.  Nursing Interventions: Essential Nursing Treatments , 1992 .

[5]  E. Grober,et al.  Preservation of musical memory in Alzheimer's disease. , 1989, Journal of neurology, neurosurgery, and psychiatry.

[6]  M. Kanamori,et al.  Music therapy‐induced changes in behavioral evaluations, and saliva chromogranin A and immunoglobulin A concentrations in elderly patients with senile dementia , 2007 .

[7]  David Evans,et al.  Patient injury and physical restraint devices: a systematic review. , 2003, Journal of advanced nursing.

[8]  H. Sung,et al.  Use of preferred music to decrease agitated behaviours in older people with dementia: a review of the literature. , 2005, Journal of clinical nursing.

[9]  L. Lam,et al.  A Preliminary Study of the Effects of Music Therapy on Agitation in Chinese Patients with Dementia , 2006 .

[10]  Christianna S. Williams,et al.  Evaluating the quality of life of long-term care residents with dementia. , 2005, The Gerontologist.

[11]  A. Myskja,et al.  “The Day the Music Died” , 2008 .

[12]  M. Kanamori,et al.  Behavioral and endocrinological evaluation of music therapy for elderly patients with dementia. , 2004, Nursing & health sciences.

[13]  S. Folstein,et al.  "Mini-mental state". A practical method for grading the cognitive state of patients for the clinician. , 1975, Journal of psychiatric research.

[14]  L. Etters,et al.  The therapeutic use of music on agitated behavior in those with dementia. , 2005, Holistic nursing practice.

[15]  V. Leirer,et al.  Development and validation of a geriatric depression screening scale: a preliminary report. , 1982, Journal of psychiatric research.

[16]  E. Spitznagel,et al.  The temporal limits of cognitive change from music therapy in elderly persons with dementia or dementia-like cognitive impairment: a randomized controlled trial. , 2007, Journal of music therapy.

[17]  C. Mathers,et al.  Global prevalence of dementia: a Delphi consensus study , 2005, The Lancet.

[18]  Liat Ayalon,et al.  Effectiveness of nonpharmacological interventions for the management of neuropsychiatric symptoms in patients with dementia: a systematic review. , 2006, Archives of internal medicine.

[19]  Denise F. Polit PhD Faan,et al.  Study Guide to Accompany Essentials of Nursing Research: Methods, Appraisal, and Utilization , 2005 .

[20]  R. Rio.  Improvization with the elderly: moving from creative activities to process-oriented therapy , 2002 .

[21]  Kristine Yaffe,et al.  Pharmacological treatment of neuropsychiatric symptoms of dementia: a review of the evidence. , 2005, JAMA.

[22]  J. Snaedal,et al.  Music therapy in moderate and severe dementia of Alzheimer's type: a case–control study , 2006, International Psychogeriatrics.

[23]  Andrew Sixsmith,et al.  Music and the wellbeing of people with dementia , 2006, Ageing and Society.

[24]  J. Cohen-Mansfield,et al.  Management of verbally disruptive behaviors in nursing home residents. , 1997, The journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences.

[25]  R. Fleming,et al.  Recognising depression in residential facilities: an Australian challenge , 2008, International journal of geriatric psychiatry.

[26]  L. Gerdner.  An Individualized Music Intervention for Agitation , 1997 .

[27]  R. Kruse,et al.  Intention-to-treat analysis: who is in? Who is out? , 2002, The Journal of family practice.

[28]  H. Matsushita,et al.  Long-term effects of music therapy on elderly with moderate/severe dementia. , 2006, Journal of music therapy.

[29]  Stephen Senn,et al.  Cross-over trials in clinical research , 1993 .

[30]  S. Ashida.  The effect of reminiscence music therapy sessions on changes in depressive symptoms in elderly persons with dementia. , 2000, Journal of music therapy.

[31]  The Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS). , 1999, Journal of gerontological nursing.

[32]  S. Hollis,et al.  What is meant by intention to treat analysis? Survey of published randomised controlled trials , 1999, BMJ.

[33]  S. Hollon,et al.  Defining empirically supported therapies. , 1998, Journal of consulting and clinical psychology.

[34]  A. A. Clair,et al.  A Preliminary Study of Music Therapy Programming for Severely Regressed Persons With Alzheimer's-Type Dementia , 1990 .

[35]  H. Vankova.  Mini Mental State , 2010 .

[36]  R. Scholten,et al.  Music therapy for people with dementia. , 2003, The Cochrane database of systematic reviews.

[37]  Sandee L. Hicks-Moore.  Relaxing music at mealtime in nursing homes: effects on agitated patients with dementia. , 2005, Journal of gerontological nursing.

[38]  S. Koger,et al.  Music and Dementias: A Review of Literature , 1997 .

[39]  J. Hughes.  Ethics and the psychiatry of old age , 2002 .

[40]  C. Holmes,et al.  Keep music live: music and the alleviation of apathy in dementia subjects , 2006, International Psychogeriatrics.

[41]  L. Gerdner.  Individualized music intervention protocol. , 1999, Journal of gerontological nursing.

[42]  C Eisdorfer,et al.  Music therapy increases serum melatonin levels in patients with Alzheimer's disease. , 1999, Alternative therapies in health and medicine.

[43]  K. H. Namazi,et al.  The Effect of Music Participation on the Social Behavior of Alzheimer's Disease Patients , 1992 .

[44]  E. Walker,et al.  Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders , 2013 .

[45]  G H Guyatt,et al.  Intention-to-treat principle. , 2001, CMAJ : Canadian Medical Association journal = journal de l'Association medicale canadienne.

[46]  H O Dickinson,et al.  Effectiveness and acceptability of non‐pharmacological interventions to reduce wandering in dementia: a systematic review , 2007, International journal of geriatric psychiatry.

[47]  F. Barale,et al.  Neurophysiology and neurobiology of the musical experience. , 2006, Functional neurology.

[48]  Myeong Soo Lee,et al.  Effects of Group Music Intervention on Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms in Patients with Dementia: A Pilot-Controlled Trial , 2009, The International journal of neuroscience.

[49]  L. Froelich,et al.  No effects of a combination of caregivers support group and memory training/music therapy in dementia patients from a memory clinic population , 2004 .

[50]  F. Baker,et al.  An investigation of long-term effects of group music therapy on agitation levels of people with Alzheimer's Disease , 2007, Aging & mental health.