Effect of Active Music Therapy and Individualized Listening to Music on Dementia: A Multicenter Randomized Controlled Trial.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the effects of active music therapy (MT) and individualized listening to music (LtM) on behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSDs) in persons with dementia (PWDs).


METHODS
Randomized controlled trial.


METHODS
Nine Italian institutions.


METHODS
Persons with moderate to severe dementia and BPSDs (N = 120) were randomized to one of three treatments.


METHODS
All groups received standard care (SC), and two groups attended 20 individualized MT or LtM sessions, twice a week, in addition to SC.


METHODS
The Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI), Cornell Scale for Depression in Dementia (CSDD), and Cornell-Brown Scale for Quality of Life in Dementia (CBS-QoL) were administered before treatment, after treatment, and at follow-up to evaluate behavioral and psychological outcomes. A specific coding scheme (Music Therapy Check List-Dementia) was used to evaluate the MT process.


RESULTS
Behavioral assessment did not show significant differences between groups. All groups showed a reduction over time in NPI global score (P ≤ .001), CSDD (P = .001), and CBS-QoL (P = .01). The NPI global score fell 28% in the MT group, 12% in the LtM group, and 21% in the SC group at the end of treatment. An exploratory post hoc analysis showed similar within-group improvements for the NPI Delusion, Anxiety, and Disinhibition subscales. In the MT group, communication and relationships between the music therapists and PWDs showed a positive albeit nonsignificant trend during treatment.


CONCLUSIONS
The addition of MT or LtM to standard care did not have a significant effect on BPSDs in PWDs. Further studies on the effects of the integration of standard care with different types of music interventions on BPSD in PWD are warranted.
Department of Public Health and Experimental and Forensic Medicine, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy.|Neurology Clinic, Department of Biomedical and Surgical Sciences, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy.
Alfredo
A
Raglio
Sospiro Foundation, Cremona, Italy.
Daniele
D
Bellandi
Scientific Direction, Salvatore Maugeri Foundation, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico, Pavia, Italy.
Paola
P
Baiardi
Sospiro Foundation, Cremona, Italy.
Marta
M
Gianotti
Sospiro Foundation, Cremona, Italy.
Maria Chiara
MC
Ubezio
Sospiro Foundation, Cremona, Italy.
Elisa
E
Zanacchi
Neurology Clinic, Department of Biomedical and Surgical Sciences, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy.
Enrico
E
Granieri
Department of Public Health and Experimental and Forensic Medicine, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy.|Department of Occupational Medicine, Ergonomics and Disability, Salvatore Maugeri Foundation, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico, Pavia, Italy.
Marcello
M
Imbriani
Department of Geriatrics and Cardiovascular Medicine, Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico, Milan, Italy.
Marco
M
Stramba-Badiale
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003704:Dementia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009146:Music; D009147:Music Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011788:Quality of Life; D016896:Treatment Outcome
behavioral disturbances; dementia; listening to music; music therapy