Live and recorded group music interventions with active participation for people with dementias: a systematic review

Background: This literature review examined the existing evidence base for the impact of both live and recorded music interventions involving active participation in a dementia population. Methodology: PsycINFO, Medline, CINAHL, Web of Science, PubMed and Cochrane Library were searched and 15 studies met inclusion criteria. Results: There was a positive impact on behavioural and psychological symptoms, quality of life, communication and some aspects of cognitive function; methodological limitations, however, make it difficult to offer firm conclusions. Interventions using recorded music resulted in more consistent positive behavioural and psychological outcomes, whereas interventions using live music reported a benefit to communication and relationships. Conclusions: Although live and recorded music showed benefits, and should be considered in dementia care, the use of different outcome measures made definitive comparisons problematic. In order to better understand mechanisms of change, one future research area should explore how group music interventions affect communication by more closely assessing processes during live and recorded music

A review of the effect of music on dental anxiety in children

Aim: To review the current literature on the effectiveness of using music as an intervention to reduce dental anxiety in children. Methods: At the University of Leeds, the School of Music and the School of Dentistry collaborated to conduct an online search strategy. The Cochrane Library and Medline databases were used to find the current available evidence. Results: Systematic reviews and clinical trial studies as well as cohort studies containing pertinent information on the effect of music on anxiety in the clinical setting were reviewed. The literature showed that music can have a biological and psychological impact on emotion and consequently has been used effectively as an aid to moderate anxiety in the clinical setting. With regard to paediatric dentistry, majority of studies were found to support the use of music in reducing dental anxiety in children, however several additional studies showed that music did not significantly reduce the children’s dental anxiety. The studies employed a number of methods to measure dental anxiety including the Venham’s Picture Test, the Venham’s clinical anxiety rating scale and pulse oximetry. They also used a range of music types; some studies allowed for patient self-selection of music whereas others dictated the music the children listened to. Conclusions: There is an increasing body of evidence to support the use of music to moderate anxiety within the clinical setting in both medicine and dentistry. However, the current evidence for the effectiveness of using music to reduce dental anxiety in children is inconclusive and of limited quality

An empirical investigation of the anxiolytic and pain reducing effects of music

This article reports two empirical experiments investigating the anxiety and pain reducing effects of listening to music via personal stereo following surgical procedures involving general anaesthetic. Both experiments involved participants selecting music of their own choice. In Experiment 1, following minor surgery on the foot, 20 participants in an experimental group listened to music while 20 participants in a control group did not. Results indicate that the music group felt significantly less anxiety than the control group. No differences in pain measurements between the two groups were found. Experiment 2 involved a music listening group of 30 females and a no music control group of 28 females. Both groups underwent a total abdominal hysterectomy. Postoperative measures of pain, anxiety and patient-controlled analgesia were taken. No differences between the groups were obtained on these measurements. The results of both experiments are discussed with reference to subjective responses to musical stimuli