The effect of music therapy compared with general recreational activities in reducing agitation in people with dementia: a randomised controlled trial

Authors:
VINK A.C., et al
Journal article citation:
International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 28(10), 2013, pp.1031-1038.
Publisher:
Wiley

A randomised controlled trial compared the effects of music therapy and general day activities on agitation in older nursing home residents with dementia (n = 94) in six Dutch nursing homes. Both music therapy and general activities were offered twice weekly for 4 months. Changes in agitation were measured with a modified Cohen-Mansfield Agitation Inventory (CMAI) at four intervals on each intervention day. A mixed model analysis was used to evaluate the effectiveness of music therapy, compared with general activities, on CMAI scores at 4 h after the intervention, controlled for CMAI scores at 1 h before the session and session number. Data were analysed for 77 residents (43 randomised to music therapy and 34 to general activities). In both groups, the intervention resulted in a decrease in agitated behaviours from 1 h before to 4 h after each session. This decrease was somewhat greater in the music therapy group than in the general activities group, but this difference was statistically not significant and disappeared completely after adjustment for Global Deterioration Scale stage. Although music therapy and recreational activities lead to a short-term decrease in agitation, there was no additional beneficial effect of music therapy over general activities. (Edited publisher abstract)

Subject terms:
music therapy, challenging behaviour, anxiety, dementia, leisure activities, randomised controlled trials, agitation;
Content type:
research
Location(s):
Netherlands
Link:
Journal home page
ISSN online:
1099-1166
ISSN print:
0885-6230

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