Music‐basedinterventions forcommunity‐dwellingpeople with dementia: A systematic review

Abstract

The majority of people with dementia (PwD) live in the community. Compared to institutionalised PwD, their access to formalised music therapy is limited. Initial works suggest that non-therapist-led music-based interventions (MBIs) may be an accessible and effective alternative. The aim of this review was, therefore, to synthesise evidence on MBIs for community-dwelling PwD. We systematically searched electronic databases (PubMed, PsycInfo, Web of Science) for records reporting on controlled studies of MBIs delivered to community-dwelling PwD. Two reviewers independently screened records according to inclusion/exclusion criteria. A total of 15 relevant publications reporting on 14 studies were initially identified and assessed using the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool for randomised trials (RoB 2) and the risk of bias. In nonrandomised studies of interventions (ROBINS-I) tool. A total of 11 records of 10 studies, with a total of n = 327 PwD, were included in the synthesis. MBIs consisted either of singing or music listening interventions and were variable in duration. MBIs had immediate positive effects on cognition. Short-term MBIs (lasting 1-4 months) benefited cognition, anxiety and pain. Evidence on depressive symptoms was conflicting.The benefits of longer term MBIs (lasting 6+ months) were less apparent. According to GRADE criteria, the overall quality of evidence was moderate to low. The inconsistency in designs, procedures and measures prevents specific conclusions at this stage. Still, the diversity observed in existing studies suggests that there are multiple interesting avenues for researchers to pursue, including the involvement of informal caregivers in MBI delivery. Future studies need to ensure adequate reporting to facilitate continued development. The protocol of this review was pre-registered with the Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO, Registration Number: CRD42020191606).

Study protocol: randomized controlled trial of an individualized music intervention for people with dementia in the home care setting

“…Designing interventions that can be delivered by family caregivers is key to making it possible to implement IML interventions on a wider scale. First evidence suggests that family caregivers can indeed successfully deliver IML interventions in the home care setting [ 23 ], although the intervention must be adapted to the caregivers’ technological skills and experience [ 19 , 20 ].…”

Longitudinal effects of choir singing on aging cognition and wellbeing: a two-year follow-up study

“…Training to play a musical instrument at old age and instrumental musical practice throughout life have been linked to better cognitive flexibility, processing speed, working memory, and verbal and non-verbal memory in older adults ( Bugos et al, 2007 ; Hanna-Pladdy and Gajewski, 2012 ; Mansens et al, 2018 ; for a review, see Román-Caballero et al, 2018 ). Furthermore, music interventions have been shown to enhance cognition and mood even in mild cognitive impairment and dementia ( Särkämö et al, 2014 ; Hofbauer et al, 2022 ; Ito et al, 2022 ; Jordan et al, 2022 ).…”

“Follow the Musical Road”: Selecting Appropriate Music Experiences for People with Dementia Living in the Community

“…The use of music in this regard has been associated with several health benefits, including improved communication, mood, and memory; reduced behavioral and psychological symptoms; and an overall enhanced quality of life [11]. Music in dementia care is delivered through a "continuum" [12] of experiences, including music therapy [13,14] and a variety of music experiences [15], which will be the focus of this paper.…”