title: Reduction in salivary cortisol level by music therapy during colonoscopic examination.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Premedication for endoscopy promotes patient cooperation and makes subsequent examinations more acceptable. Music therapy is widely used in the treatment of acute and chronic pain. Therefore, we investigated the effects of music therapy on pain and on salivary cortisol levels in patients undergoing screening colonoscopy.
  
  
  METHODS
  The subjects were 29 consecutive patients undergoing colonoscopy for various reasons. Patients were randomly assigned to undergo colonoscopy while listening to music (n=15) or while not listening to music (n=14). Cortisol levels were measured in samples of saliva obtained before and after colonoscopy. After colonoscopy, patients were asked to rate their maximum pain during colonoscopy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients who listened to music during colonoscopy tended to have lower pain scores. Salivary cortisol levels increased significantly less in the group receiving music.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Music therapy during colonoscopy markedly reduces fear-related stress, as indicated by changes in salivary cortisol levels.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastrointestinal Oncology, Osaka Medical Center for Cancer and Cardiovascular Diseases, Japan. uedou-no@mc.pref.osaka.jp
authors.forename: Noriya
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Uedo
authors.forename: Hideki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ishikawa
authors.forename: Kanehisa
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Morimoto
authors.forename: Ryu
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ishihara
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Narahara
authors.forename: Ikuko
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Akedo
authors.forename: Tatsuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ioka
authors.forename: Itaru
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kaji
authors.forename: Sanae
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fukuda
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003113:Colonoscopy / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000032:analysis*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009147:Music Therapy; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012463:Saliva / Q000737:chemistry*; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000378:metabolism / Q000517:prevention & control*
chemical_list: D006854:Hydrocortisone