title: Music is Beneficial for Awake Craniotomy Patients: A Qualitative Study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Patients undergoing awake craniotomy may experience high levels of stress. Minimizing anxiety benefits patients and surgeons. Music has many therapeutic effects in altering human mood and emotion. Tonality of music as conveyed by composition in major or minor keys can have an impact on patients' emotions and thoughts. Assessing the effects of listening to major and minor key musical pieces on patients undergoing awake craniotiomy could help in the design of interventions to alleviate anxiety, stress and tension.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-nine patients who were undergoing awake craniotomy were recruited and randomly assigned into two groups: Group 1 subjects listened to major key music and Group 2 listened to minor key compositions. Subjects completed a demographics questionnaire, a pre- and post-operative Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) and a semi-structured open-ended interview. RESULTS were analyzed using modified thematic analysis through open and axial coding.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall, patients enjoyed the music regardless of the key distinctions and stated they benefitted from listening to the music. No adverse reactions to the music were found. Subjects remarked that the music made them feel more at ease and less anxious before, during and after their procedure. Patients preferred either major key or minor key music but not a combination of both. Those who preferred major key pieces said it was on the basis of tonality while the individuals who selected minor key pieces stated that tempo of the music was the primary factor.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Overall, listening to music selections was beneficial for the patients. Future work should further investigate the effects of audio interventions in awake surgery through narrative means.
authors: 2Division of Neurosurgery and Department of Anesthesia,Toronto Western Hospital,University Health Network,Toronto,Canada.
authors: Radhika
authors: R
authors: Jadavji-Mithani
authors: 2Division of Neurosurgery and Department of Anesthesia,Toronto Western Hospital,University Health Network,Toronto,Canada.
authors: Lashmi
authors: L
authors: Venkatraghavan
authors: 1Division of Neurosurgery,University of Toronto.
authors: Mark
authors: M
authors: Bernstein
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001007:Anxiety / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D001307:Auditory Perception; D003399:Craniotomy / Q000379:methods* / Q000523:psychology*; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009146:Music; D057240:Patient Preference / Q000523:psychology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014851:Wakefulness; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: qualitative research