title: Music Therapy in Palliative Care.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Music therapy has been used successfully for over 30 years as part of palliative care programs for severely ill patients. There is nonetheless a lack of high-quality studies that would enable an evidence-based evaluation of its psychological and physiological effects.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a randomized controlled trial, 84 hospitalized patients in palliative care were assigned to one of two treatment arms--music therapy and control. The music therapy intervention consisted of two sessions of live music-based relaxation exercises; the patients in the control group listened to a verbal relaxation exercise. The primary endpoints were self-ratings of relaxation, well-being, and acute pain, assessed using visual analog scales. Heart rate variability and health-related quality of life were considered as secondary outcomes. The primary data analysis was performed according to the intention-to-treat principle.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Analyses of covariance revealed that music therapy was more effective than the control treatment at promoting relaxation (F = 13.7; p <0.001) and well-being (F = 6.41; p = 0.01). This effect was supported by a significantly greater increase in high-frequency oscillations of the heart rate (F = 8.13; p = 0.01). Music therapy did not differ from control treatment with respect to pain reduction (F = 0.4; p = 0.53), but it led to a significantly greater reduction in the fatigue score on the quality-of-life scale (F = 4.74; p = 0.03).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Music therapy is an effective treatment with a low dropout rate for the promotion of relaxation and well-being in terminally ill persons undergoing palliative care.
authors.affiliation: Center of Pain Therapy and Palliative Care Medicine, Department of Anesthesiology, Heidelberg University Hospital, School of Therapeutic Sciences, SRH University Heidelberg.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Warth
authors.forename: Jens
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Keßler
authors.forename: Thomas K
authors.initials: TK
authors.lastname: Hillecke
authors.forename: Hubert J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Bardenheuer
mesh_terms: D000072716:Cancer Pain / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy / Q000379:methods / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009147:Music Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D059408:Pain Management / Q000379:methods / Q000523:psychology; D010147:Pain Measurement; D010166:Palliative Care / Q000379:methods* / Q000523:psychology*; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011788:Quality of Life; D016896:Treatment Outcome