Music therapy for patients with alzheimer’s disease: A focused critical review

Abstract

Introduction: Dementia is one of the most pressing issues in old age, affecting not only the person
who suffers it but also the caregivers and family.
Aim: The purpose of this systematic review is to explore the therapeutic value of music as a nonpharmacological
intervention for people with AD. A secondary objective is to reveal evidence on the
type of music that is most beneficial.
Methods: The systematic search included critical review of different databases: Google Scholar,
Science Direct, PubMed, Scielo, Dialnet and Cochrane. The search dates ranged from 2006 to 2019
and individual and combinations of the following keywords were used: “Alzheimer’s disease”, “music”,
“music therapy” and “dementia” in English, Spanish and Greek. The selected papers were then read
in their entirety and further exclusions were made based on ‘fine-tuning’ according to the inclusion
and exclusion criteria.
Results: Results revealed publications from many different countries such as: Spain, Greece, USA,
Netherlands, Brazil, Germany and China. Searching the databases led to the selection of 21 research
studies and 7 systematic reviews including a Cochrane review.
Discussion: MT has elicited considerable interest amongst researchers and findings clearly illustrate
that this innovative and non-invasive method is of great protective advantage to those suffering
cognitive decline as found in AD and that responses to MT are evident within a short period of time
[within 5 weeks] with as few as one to two half hour sessions per week.
Conclusions: MT stimulates cognitive function, improves mood, and reduces behaviour problems
triggered by stressful conditions. It is an inexpensive and pleasant intervention with no adverse
effects and has emerged as a promising additional therapeutic approach for patients with dementia.
It seems that most benefit is achieved when familiar music is enjoyed amongst a group adding a
social element to the whole experience.