Dementia is a clinical syndrome with a number of different causes. It is characterised by deterioration in cognitive, behavioural, social and emotional functioning. Pharmacological interventions are available but have limited effect on many of the syndrome’s features. However, receptivity to music may remain until the late phases of dementia, and music‐based therapeutic interventions (which include, but are not limited to, music therapy) are suitable for people with advanced dementia.
In the later stages of dementia, it may be difficult for people to communicate with words, but even when they can no longer speak, they may still be able to hum or play along with music. Therapy involving music may therefore be especially suitable for people with dementia to improve their lives.
This Cochrane review is based on 30 studies performed in 15 countries. The studies involved 1720 people with dementia of varying severity. In most of the studies, the participants lived in nursing homes.
Main results
At the end of treatment
Music‐based therapy probably improves depression and may improve overall behavioural problems, compared with providing usual care.
Music‐based therapy may improve social behaviour compared to other activities. It was less confident about the effects of music‐based therapy on anxiety compared to other activities.
The available evidence does not suggest any benefit of music‐based therapy for emotional well‐being (including quality of life), agitation and aggression, or cognition, but the evidence is limited and there is uncertainty about this.
In the longer term
Some studies measured outcomes four weeks or more after treatment ended. It did not find any lasting effects, but there were fewer results measured in the longer term, and we are uncertain about this evidence. Further studies are likely to have a significant impact on what we know about the effects of music‐based therapy for people with dementia, so it is important that research continues.
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