Impacts of Music Intervention on Dementia: A Review Using Meta-Narrative Method and Agenda for Future Research

Abstract

Background: Dementia, a significant cognitive impairment, is characterized by a decline in memory. It affects an individual’s mood and behavior, which can impair their quality of life and well-being. Studies show that the demand for applying music as a new therapy method for dementia has increased during the last decades. Objective: To review the studies conducted on the impacts of music on different symptoms of dementia and provide readers with a more detailed picture of the efficacy of music, and recognize gaps in the literature. Methods: Electronic searches were conducted in the Cochrane Library (1938), Embase (773), Medline and PubMed (700), PsycINFO (89), and Scopus (218) databases. The search was comprised of all the literature from 2010 to 2020. For the search, key terms including “Dementia” AND “music” OR “music intervention” OR “music therapy” and index terms “clinical trial” OR “randomized controlled trials” were used. Finally, after screening 891 citations, 30 studies were included. Results: In general, it was observed that in most cases, music could be used as one of the safe and cost-effective non-pharmacological approaches for dementia treatment. However, in some studies, no impact or short-term effect of music on some symptoms of dementia such as wandering, agitation, and cognition was detected. Conclusion: Observing no effect or even negative impact of music on people living with dementia could be due to a random selection of music, fewer individuals, and the lack of a standard protocol. High heterogeneity in outcomes did not allow for clear conclusions on the benefits of music in dementia. This demands a comprehensive non-pharmacological music treatment approach to be designed for each stage of dementia to be employed alongside pharmacological treatments. This study proposes 13 gaps in the research on the health impact of music on dementia that could be studied by future researchers.

Music Stimulation as a Method of Optimizing Autobiographical Memory in Patients Diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease

“…El Haj et al [14] stated that the use of personally meaningful music allows autobiographical memories to be evoked with higher fluency and expressed with higher grammatical complexity [5]. Our findings with regard to the impact that music has on communication coincides with previous studies that suggest people with dementia can benefit from music, and that it can improve language skills, verbal and non-verbal expressions, uninhibited self-expression, cognitive abilities, and sociability [20]. Although most of the variables suggest an improvement in the performance of AM in older adults with Alzheimer's disease, in the episodic component of the Autobiographical Memory Interview, no significant difference was observed.…”

“…In addition, through musical training, neuroplasticity is stimulated, and neuronal degeneration is reduced. Authors such as Soufineyestani, Khan, and Sufineyestani [20] suggest that singing can improve mood, reduce behavioral disturbances, optimize the functioning of cognitive abilities, and increase hormone levels and heartbeat. Playing an instrument can prevent or delay the onset of symptoms.…”

“…Several studies have been conducted on music-based interventions that benefit people suffering from dementia, although some limitations have been identified in their methodology; for example, some studies are focused solely on the comparison of music and silence, there are practice effects due to the tasks' repetition that centers in a specific memory's modality, the study is not conducted in natural situations, there is a comparison between familiar and unfamiliar music [13], or music therapy is with other activities [20]. It is important to develop cost-effective, acceptable, and safe treatments that have the potential to improve the quality of life and reduce the symptoms of the disease, but above all, that have the capacity to be applied by family members, caregivers, and specialized places in the care of elderly people with Alzheimer's [21].…”

A Focus on the Reminiscence Bump to Personalize Music Playlists for Dementia

“…The qualitative benefit of Receptive Music Therapy (RMT) in patients with dementia has been well described elsewhere. 31 , 32 , 38 , 39 This project aimed to provide quantitative evidence of the age in healthy individuals when popular music was best recalled, thereby demonstrating an era for the reminiscence bump. This era could then be sampled to create personalized playlists for RMT in people living with dementia.…”

Reducing Cognitive Impairment Among Dementia Users Through Mobile Application

“…It is suggested that they utilize this approach to obtain a sense of control over their lives more than to be as effective as before. The Table 1 shows the different stages of dementia and how each stage affects PwD in their daily lives (Soufineyestani et al, 2021). As the quality of life for people in most developed countries increases due to health care and medicine being very much advanced nowadays, it does not guarantee that elderly people will not be affected by any illnesses that are common with their age .…”