Music Therapy in Infancy and Neurodevelopmental Outcomes in Preterm Children: A Secondary Analysis of the LongSTEP Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Preterm children are at risk for neurodevelopment impairments. Objective: To evaluate the effect of a music therapy (MT) intervention (parent-led, infant-directed singing) for premature children during the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) stay and/or after hospital discharge on language development at 24 months' corrected age (CA). Design, Setting, and Participants: This predefined secondary analysis followed participants in the LongSTEP (Longitudinal Study of Music Therapy's Effectiveness for Premature Infants and Their Caregivers) randomized clinical trial, which was conducted from August 2018 to April 2022 in 8 NICUs across 5 countries (Argentina, Colombia, Israel, Norway, and Poland) and included clinic follow-up visits and extended interventions after hospital discharge. Intervention: Participants were children born preterm (<35 weeks' gestation) and their parents. Participants were randomized at enrollment to MT with standard care (SC) or SC alone; they were randomized to MT or SC again at discharge. The MT was parent-led, infant-directed singing tailored to infant responses and supported by a music therapist and was provided 3 times weekly in the NICU and/or in 7 sessions across 6 months after discharge. The SC consisted of early intervention methods of medical, nursing, and social services, without MT. Main Outcome and Measures: Primary outcome was language development, as measured by the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, Third Edition (BSID-III) language composite score, with the remaining BSID-III composite and subscale scores as the secondary outcomes. Group differences in treatment effects were assessed using linear mixed-effects models using all available data. Results: Of 206 participants (103 female infants [50%]; mean [SD] GA, 30.5 [2.7] weeks), 51 were randomized to MT and 53 to SC at enrollment; at discharge, 52 were randomized to MT and 50 to SC. A total of 112 (54%) were retained at the 24 months' CA follow-up. Most participants (79 [70%] to 93 [83%]) had BSID-III scores in the normal range (≥85). Mean differences for the language composite score were -2.36 (95% CI, -12.60 to 7.88; P = .65) for the MT at NICU with postdischarge SC group, 2.65 (95% CI, -7.94 to 13.23; P = .62) for the SC at NICU and postdischarge MT group, and -3.77 (95% CI, -13.97 to 6.43; P = .47) for the MT group at both NICU and postdischarge. There were no significant effects for cognitive or motor development. Conclusions and Relevance: This secondary analysis did not confirm an effect of parent-led, infant-directed singing on neurodevelopment in preterm children at 24 months' CA; wide CIs suggest, however, that potential effects cannot be excluded. Future research should determine the MT approaches, implementation time, and duration that are effective in targeting children at risk for neurodevelopmental impairments and introducing broader measurements for changes in brain development. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03564184.

Accelerated construction of stress relief music datasets using CNN and the Mel-scaled spectrogram.

Listening to music is a crucial tool for relieving stress and promoting relaxation. However, the limited options available for stress-relief music do not cater to individual preferences, compromising its effectiveness. Traditional methods of curating stress-relief music rely heavily on measuring biological responses, which is time-consuming, expensive, and requires specialized measurement devices. In this paper, a deep learning approach to solve this problem is introduced that explicitly uses convolutional neural networks and provides a more efficient and economical method for generating large datasets of stress-relief music. These datasets are composed of Mel-scaled spectrograms that include essential sound elements (such as frequency, amplitude, and waveform) that can be directly extracted from the music. The trained model demonstrated a test accuracy of 98.7%, and a clinical study indicated that the model-selected music was as effective as researcher-verified music in terms of stress-relieving capacity. This paper underlines the transformative potential of deep learning in addressing the challenge of limited music options for stress relief. More importantly, the proposed method has profound implications for music therapy because it enables a more personalized approach to stress-relief music selection, offering the potential for enhanced emotional well-being.

The effects of music combined to paired associative stimulation on motor-evoked potentials and alertness in spinal cord injury patients and healthy subjects.

Paired associative stimulation (PAS) consisting of high-intensity transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and high-frequency peripheral nerve stimulation (known as high-PAS) induces plastic changes and improves motor performance in patients with incomplete spinal cord injury (SCI). Listening to music during PAS may potentially improve mood and arousal and facilitate PAS-induced neuroplasticity via auditory-motor coupling, but the effects have not been explored. This pilot study aimed to determine if the effect of high-PAS on motor-evoked potentials (MEPs) and subjective alertness can be augmented with music. Ten healthy subjects and nine SCI patients received three high-PAS sessions in randomized order (PAS only, PAS with music synchronized to TMS, PAS with self-selected music). MEPs were measured before (PRE), after (POST), 30 min (POST30), and 60 min (POST60) after stimulation. Alertness was evaluated with a questionnaire. In healthy subjects, MEPs increased at POST in all sessions and remained higher at POST60 in PAS with synchronized music compared with the other sessions. There was no difference in alertness. In SCI patients, MEPs increased at POST and POST30 in PAS only but not in other sessions, whereas alertness was higher in PAS with self-selected music. More research is needed to determine the potential clinical effects of using music during high-PAS.

Effects of a choral program combining wind instrument performance and breathing training on respiratory function, stress, and quality of life in adolescents: A randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Choral activities are correlated with various health and wellbeing parameters. However, an intervention combining a music program using wind instruments and choral activities has not yet been investigated. Thus, this study aimed to assess the effects of a 12-week intervention combining a wind instrument performance program and a choral program on stress factors, quality of life, and respiratory function in adolescents located in a metropolitan city with exposure to air pollution. METHOD: This randomized controlled trial consisted of 50 adolescents, and the subjects were randomly assigned to a combination wind instrument and choral training group, a choral training group, and a control group. Following a 12-week intervention program, respiratory function, stress factors, and quality of life were compared between the three groups. RESULTS: Regarding respiratory function, with the exception of maximal inspiratory pressure, all measured variables exhibited an interaction to indicate a variation in the pattern of change(p<0.05). Furthermore, regarding stress factors and quality of life, all measured variables exhibited an interaction to indicate a variation in the pattern of change(p<0.05). As a result of the post-hoc analysis, significant differences were found in all variables in experimental group 1 compared to other groups (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: The results showed that the 12-week intervention combining a wind instrument performance program and a choral program had positive effects in improving the respiratory function, stress factors, and quality of life in adolescents. This study findings are expected to support future studies aimed at promoting overall health including respiratory function and psychological factors through various music-based programs.

Effect of music integrated phonological awareness program on preschool cochlear implant users.

OBJECTIVES: Children with cochlear implants exhibit lower phonological awareness and sound discrimination skills compared to their normal-hearing peers. However, music training has been shown to have a positive effect on speech discrimination and awareness skills. METHODS: Our study included 23 cochlear implant users and 23 normal hearing participants aged 5-6 years with language skills. The aim was to observe the effect of a music-integrated phonological awareness program on cochlear implant users and to compare the phonological awareness skills of children with cochlear implants before and after online training with their normal hearing peers. RESULTS: Results showed that the trained study group scored higher on the Scale of Early Childhood Phonological Awareness (PASECP) after training than the control group (p < 0.05). In addition, SMRT scores increased between before and after training in the study group, and Mismatch Negativity (MMN) amplitudes increased and latencies decreased as a result of training (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The study suggests that phonological awareness training integrated with music can effectively improve the phonological awareness skills of children with cochlear implants and has the potential to enable them to achieve phonological awareness levels similar to or even better than their normal hearing peers.

The effect of music played to new birth mothers on postpartum blues: A randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Postpartum blues/postpartum maternal blues is a psychological disorder experienced by mothers with symptoms of postpartum sadness, easy crying, easy anxiety, sensitivity, indecisiveness. The study aimed to examine the effect of music played on newly delivered mothers on postpartum blues. METHODS: A prospective, two-arm, randomized controlled study was conducted on n = 82 (41 = control, 41 = music group) mothers who gave birth at term in Trakya University Health Research and Application Center Maternity Service between May and December 2023. The research data were collected through the Personal Information Form, Stein Blues Scale (SBS), and Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale (EPDS). The scales used in the study were evaluated four times: postoperative 0-3 h, 12th, 24th, and 36th hours. RESULTS: The postoperative 0-3 h SBS test median of the new mothers in the music group was 19.00, and the 36th hours test median was 2.00, while the postoperative 0-3 h SBS test median of the control group was 21.00, and the 36th hour test median was 13.00. The postoperative 0-3 h EPDS test median of the new mothers in the music group was 22.00, and the 36th hours test median was 0.00, while the postoperative 0-3 h EPDS test median of the control group was 26.00, and the 36th hours test median was 10.00. A significant difference was found in the 12th, 24th, and 36th hours (p < .001). A statistically significant high positive correlation was found between EPDS and SBS in the 12th, 24th, and 36th hours (p < .001). CONCLUSIONS: In the study, it was found that music played to newly delivered mothers reduced postpartum blues and depression levels. REGISTRATION: The submission date for a clinical trial protocol is prior to completing participant recruitment and for a systematic review, prior to completing full paper screening. NCT06252155.

Efficacy and safety of music therapy for the treatment of anxiety and delirium in ICU patients: a meta-analysis and systematic review of randomized controlled trials.

INTRODUCTION: The medical application of music therapy (MT) has received widespread attention in recent years and some researchers have attempted to apply MT to the treatment of patients with anxiety and delirium in ICU. EVIDENCE ACQUISITION: Relevant randomized controlled trials (randomized controlled trials s) were searched in databases, such as Web of Science, PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Medline, Scopus, and CINAHL. Researchers performed literature screening, data extraction, literature quality assessment, and heterogeneity analysis among RCTs. EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS: Fourteen studies met the inclusion criteria. In general, we included RCTs with low risk of bias, and the primary outcome indicators, including the Chinese version of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (C-STAI), Visual Analogue Scale for Anxiety Measurement (VAS-A), and Facial Anxiety Scale (FAS), with a recommended level of evidence of "strong". The pooled results indicated that MT was effective in alleviating the anxiety state of ICU patients (95% CI, SMD=-1.09 [-1.52, -0.67], P<0.05) and could reduce mental and physical fatigue in patients with anxious delirium in ICU (95% CI, WMD=-2.35 [-3.37, -1.33], P <0.05). There were significant differences in the therapeutic effects of MT with different intervention durations. Both 15-minute and 30-minute MT were effective in reducing anxiety levels in patients with anxiety disorders in the ICU (15min: 95%CI, SMD=-1.70[-2.15, -1.24], P<0.05; 30min: 95%CI, SMD=-0.73[-1.16, - 0.29], P<0.05). However, when the duration of MT exceeded 45 min, the overtreatment of MT instead interfered with patient rest and failed to produce a positive therapeutic effect (95% CI, SMD=-1.04 [-3.06, 0.97], P=0.31). In addition, a meta-analysis of physiological outcomes found that MT was effective in maintaining the stabilization of heart rate (HR), respiratory rate (RR), and systolic blood pressure (SBP) in ICU patients with anxiety (P<0.05), but did not affect patients' oxygen saturation, mean arterial pressure and diastolic blood pressure (P>0.05). No adverse events occurred during MT treatment in the reports of included 14 studies. CONCLUSIONS: MT can safely and effectively reduce the anxiety level of patients with anxiety and delirium in ICU and relieve their psychological and physical fatigue. And MT was able to maintain the stability of HR, RR, and SBP in ICU patients.

Enhancing gait cadence through rhythm-modulated music: A study on healthy adults.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Gait disorders stemming from brain lesions or chemical imbalances, pose significant challenges for patients. Proposed treatments encompass medication, deep brain stimulation, physiotherapy, and visual stimulation. Music, with its harmonious structures, serves as a continuous reference, synchronizing muscle activities through neural connections between hearing and motor functions, can show promise in gait disorder management. This study explores the influence of heightened music rhythm on young healthy participants' gait cadence in three conditions: FeedForward (independent rhythm), FeedBack (cadence-synced rhythm), and Adaptive (cadence-controlled musical experience). The objective is to increase gait cadence through rhythm modulation during walking. METHOD: The study involved 18 young healthy participants (13 males and 5 females) who did not have any gait or hearing disorders. Each participant completed the gait task in the three aforementioned conditions. Each condition was comprised of three sessions: 1) Baseline, where participants walked while listening to the original music; 2) Intervention, changing the music rhythm to affect the gait cadence; and 3) Realign, replaying the original music and measuring the durability of the effect of the Intervention session. The measurement tool was a pair of footwear equipped with push-button switches that transmited the foot-to-ground contact to the LabVIEW® software, all designed by the research team. Repeated measures of ANOVA was employed to evaluate the impact of the sessions and conditions. RESULTS: In all three conditions, there was a significant effect of music on increasing gait cadence during Intervention and Realign sessions (p < 0.001). Additionally, the immediate impact of music on gait cadence in the Adaptive condition was superior to the other conditions. CONCLUSION: The study findings indicate that increasing the rhythm of music during walking has a significant impact on gait cadence among young healthy participants. This effect remained significant even after realigning the music to normal. It could be harnessed to support the rehabilitation of individuals with movement disorders characterized by a decrease in movement speed, such as Parkinson's disease. Moreover, the results indicate that the Adaptive method showed promising outcomes, suggesting its potential for further exploration as an effective means to control gait cadence.

Healthcare practitioners' experiences and perspectives of music in perinatal care in Ireland: An exploratory survey.

INTRODUCTION: Evidence shows that music can promote the wellbeing of women and infants in the perinatal period. Ireland's National Maternity Strategy (2016-2026) suggests a holistic approach to woman's healthcare needs and music interventions are ideally placed as a non-pharmacological and cost-effective intervention to improve the quality of care offered to women and infants. This cross-sectional survey aimed to explore the healthcare practitioners' personal and professional experiences of using music therapeutically and its impact and barriers in practice. The survey also investigated practitioners' knowledge and attitudes towards the use of music as a therapeutic tool in perinatal care. METHODS: A novel online survey was developed and distributed through healthcare practitioners' electronic mailing lists, social media, Perinatal Mental Health staff App, and posters at the regional maternity hospital during 26th June and 26th October 2020. Survey items included demographics, personal and professional use of music, and perspectives on music intervention in perinatal care. RESULTS: Forty-six healthcare practitioners from across 11 professions were recruited and 42 were included in this study. 98 % of perinatal practitioners used music intentionally to support their wellbeing and 75 % referred to using music in their work. While 90 % found music beneficial in their practice, 15 % reported some negative effect. Around two-thirds of the respondents were familiar with the evidence on music and perinatal wellbeing and 95 % thought there was not enough guidance. 40 % considered music therapy an evidence-based practice and 81 % saw a role for music therapy in standard maternity service in Ireland. The qualitative feedback on how music was used personally and professionally, its' reported benefits, negative effects, and barriers are discussed. DISCUSSION: This study offers insights into how healthcare practitioners viewed and applied music in perinatal practice. The findings indicate high interest and positive experiences in using music as a therapeutic tool in perinatal care which highlights the need for more evidence and guidance.

Effects of Music Therapy on Negative Emotions and Physiological Parameters in Patients Undergoing Colonoscopic Polypectomy: A Retrospective Study.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to determine the postoperative effects of music therapy on negative emotions, pain, and inflammatory and physiological parameters in patients undergoing colonoscopic polypectomy. METHODS: Patients who underwent colonoscopic polypectomy in Funan County People's Hospital between March 2020 and June 2023 were selected as the research subjects. Patients were divided into exposure (underwent music therapy) and control (did not undergo music therapy) groups. Baseline characteristics, Self-rating Anxiety Scale (SAS) and Visual Analog Scale (VAS) scores, physiological parameters [systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), and heart rate (HR)], and inflammatory marker levels [neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet/lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR)] of patients before and after exposure to music were determined. The propensity score matching (PSM) method (1:1) was used to balance the baseline characteristics of the two groups. RESULTS: After PSM, the exposure group comprised 50 cases and the control group comprised 50 cases. The baseline characteristics were not significantly different between the two groups (P > 0.05). The postoperative SAS score of the exposure group was significantly lower than that of the control group (P < 0.05). Meanwhile, the postoperative VAS score of the exposure group was nonsignificantly lower than that of the control group (P > 0.05). Furthermore, the postoperative SBP, DBP, and HR levels of the exposure group were significantly lower than that of the control group (P < 0.05). The postoperative levels of NLR, PLR, and ESR were not significantly different between the exposure and control groups (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Music therapy exerts beneficial effects on the postoperative psychological and physiological parameters of patients undergoing colonoscopic polypectomy.

Music Nursing as Complementary Therapy Improves Anxiety, Fatigue, and Quality of Life in Children with Acute Leukaemia: A Retrospective Study.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the effects of music nursing as a complementary therapy on anxiety, fatigue, and quality of life in children with acute leukemia (AL). METHODS: This study included 150 children with AL admitted to our hospital from August 2021 to August 2023 and divided them into two groups based on treatment: the control (n = 76, received routine nursing) and observation (n = 74, received music nursing on the basis of routine nursing) groups. Comparison of groups was performed in terms of general information, anxiety, fatigue, and quality of life at admission (T0) and 1 month after admission (T1). RESULTS: No significant differences were observed in the general data between the two groups (P > 0.05). Anxiety, fatigue, and quality of life of the two groups also showed no significant differences at T0 (P > 0.05). The observation group showed significantly lower anxiety than the control group at T1 (P < 0.05). At T1, the observation group exhibited a lower fatigue degree compared with the control group (P < 0.05). At T1, the observation group attained higher scores on physiological and emotional dimensions of the quality of life compared with the control group, and the differences were statistically significant (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Music nursing for AL children, which has a certain clinical application value, can effectively reduce their anxiety and fatigue and improve their quality of life.

A systematic review of the Mozart effect in adult and paediatric cases of drug-resistant epilepsy: A sound approach to epilepsy management.

OBJECTIVES: In recent years, adjunctive therapies for epilepsy management are being explored due to considerable side effects carried by antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) and widespread reports of drug-resistant epilepsy. One such approach is non-invasive musical neurostimulation. Within this context, Mozart's sonata K448 has received particular attention following reports of reduced seizure frequency and a decrease in epileptiform discharges during and after music exposure; often described as the 'Mozart effect'. However, controversy exists around the effectiveness of K448 in epilepsy and the strength and quality of the evidence supporting it. Therefore, this study aims to systematically review the available literature around the Mozart effect, in both adult and paediatric cases of epilepsy. METHODS: We carried out a literature search on PubMed, Science Direct, Scopus and Web of Science using the query string ALL= (Mozart AND epileps*). Selected clinical studies were classified based on the age of the population studied, as paediatric (0-18 years), adult (19 years or older) or a combination of the two. All the studies were evaluated using the Johns Hopkins Nursing Evidence-Based Practice (JHNEBP) rating scale to determine the strength of the evidence (level) and the quality of the research evidence. RESULTS: Out of 538 records, 25 studies were selected, grouped based on the age of the population studied and evaluated using the JHNEBP rating scale. Ten level 1 studies, which represent the strongest evidence, were identified, including six RCTs and three meta-analyses. Nine of these ten studies show a decrease in epileptiform discharges and in seizure frequency following exposure to Mozart's K448. One multiverse analysis reported lack of statistically significant evidence to support the use of K448 in epilepsy or any other medical condition. CONCLUSIONS: A growing body of evidence supports the Mozart effect on epilepsy, with notable studies including RCTs and comprehensive meta-analyses. This review identified nine level 1 studies, conducted by research groups worldwide, which endorse the use of Mozart's music to reduce seizures and epileptiform discharges in adult and paediatric epilepsy patients. However, existing research exhibits limitations like varying protocols, small sample sizes and diverse treatment regimens. Additionally, studies that combine adult and paediatric patients fail to take account of developmental differences between these two groups - particularly with regards to brain maturation and neurophysiology - which could negatively impact upon the accuracy of findings by obscuring important age-related differences in response to intervention. Adequately addressing these limitations will be crucial to demonstrating proof of concept; otherwise, a potentially valuable, non-invasive, accessible, and affordable therapeutic option for drug-resistant epilepsy will remain on the medical fringe. Further research with larger samples and stricter protocols, particularly considering patient age and drug regimens, is required.

Use of headphones for the delivery of music programs for people with dementia in long-term care homes: a scoping review protocol.

INTRODUCTION: Dementia affects the quality of life. Excessive noise in care environments can exacerbate stress and related symptoms. Headphone-based music interventions may help improve the quality of life for people with dementia in long-term care homes. This review aims to explore and synthesise research on headphone-based music interventions for people with dementia in long-term care homes, focusing on enablers and barriers to implementing headphone-based music interventions. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: Joanna Briggs Institute guidance for scoping review and Preferred Reporting Items for Scoping Reviews and Meta-analyses extension for Scoping Reviews will guide the review and report process. CINAHL, MEDLINE, Embase, Web of Science, Scopus, AgeLine, PsycINFO and ProQuest databases will be searched for relevant literature from June 2010 to January 2024, supplemented by hand searches and Google for grey literature. Two research assistants will independently screen citations, followed by a full-text review. Data will be extracted using a data extraction tool. We will present the data in a table with narratives that answer the questions of the scoping review. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: This scoping review does not require ethics approval and participation consent, as all data will be publicly available. The scoping review results will be disseminated through conference presentations and an open-access publication in a peer-reviewed journal. The findings will provide practical insights into the adoption and efficacy of headphone-based music programmes for dementia in long-term care homes, contributing to education, practice, policy and future research.

Music Therapy to Facilitate Relationship Completion at the End of Life: A Mixed-Methods Study.

The concept of relationship completion is embodied as the core belief for end-of-life care in Taiwan, known as the Four Expressions in Life. No studies have been published investigating and trying to understand how music therapy facilitates the Four Expressions in Life. This convergent mixed-methods study examined the effects of music therapy to facilitate relationship completion for patients at the end of life and their families in Taiwan, and explored their personal experiences in music therapy sessions. Thirty-four patients at end-of-life care and 36 of their family members participated in a single music therapy session with a one-group pretest-posttest design using standardized quality-of-life measures for patients at the end of life and families. A nested sample of 5 patients and 9 family members completed semi-structured interviews. Significant differences between the pre and post session scores were revealed for patients in the Life Completion subscale of the QUAL-E (p < .001), and the global QoL Indicator (p < .001), and for families in the Completion subscale of the QUAL-E (Fam) (p < .001), and the Overall Quality of Life (p < .001). Four themes around opportunities emerged from the interviews: the opportunity for exploration, for connection, for expression, and for healing. The integrated findings suggest that music therapy facilitated relationship completion and improved quality of life for both patients and their families. Furthermore, this study supports that the transformative level of music therapy practice within a single session for end-of-life care is attainable.

Therapeutic Singing and Semi-Occluded Vocal Tract Exercises for Individuals with Parkinson's Disease: A Randomized Controlled Trial of a Single Session Intervention.

Individuals with Parkinson's disease (PD) experience speech and voice-related symptoms that diminish communication and quality of life. Semi-occluded vocal tract (SOVT) exercises are targeted interventions that, when combined with the positive psychosocial benefits of therapeutic group singing (TGS), may affect outcomes. The purpose of this study was to explore the effectiveness of SOVT exercises, specifically straw phonation combined with TGS, to improve voice quality and mood for individuals with PD. We used a true experimental pretest-posttest between-subjects design (i.e., randomized controlled trial) facilitated by a board-certified music therapist. All participants (N = 27) were randomly assigned to one of three groups (a) straw phonation combined with TGS (SP + TGS, n = 10), (b) TGS (n = 10), and (c) speaking-only control group (n = 7). Participants completed voice recordings for acoustic measures and the Visual Analogue Mood Scale for mood analysis before and after a 30-min intervention. The results demonstrated significant improvement in voice quality evidenced by decreasing Acoustic Voice Quality Index scores following a single session for both SP + TGS and TGS intervention groups when compared to the control. Happiness scores improved in the experimental groups when compared to control. Although not statistically significant, participants in the experimental groups (SP + TGS, TGS) demonstrated better mean mood scores on happiness, anxiety, and angry when compared to control, indicating a positive psychological response to the singing interventions. Overall, this study indicated the effectiveness of SP + TGS and TGS as promising therapeutic interventions for voice quality and mood in individuals with PD.

Non-pharmacological strategies to reduce stress and anxiety in endovascular procedures: A scoping review.

AIM: This study aimed to identify and map the production of knowledge on non-pharmacological strategies to reduce stress and anxiety in patients undergoing endovascular procedures. DESIGN: Scoping review. METHODS: The review was performed using the PRISMA-ScR guidelines. The searches were conducted in Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science, Wiley Online Library, BVS/BIREME, Lilacs, Gale Academic OneFile, SciELO, Cochrane Library, CAPES Catalog of Dissertations and Theses, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation Portal of Theses and Dissertations, and Theses and Dissertations from Latin America. RESULTS: Twenty-two articles were selected. The articles were published from 2001 to 2022, mostly in Iran, and there was a predominance of randomized clinical trials. The Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory was the most used instrument. The findings indicated that music therapy, educational guidelines or videos on the procedure, massage, psychological preparation and aromatherapy were the main non-pharmacological therapies used to reduce anxiety and stress in patients undergoing vascular procedures.

Combining HD-tDCS with music stimulation for patients with prolonged disorders of consciousness: Study protocol for an RCT trial.

BACKGROUND: Patients with prolonged disorders of consciousness (pDOC) pose significant challenges to healthcare workers due to their severe motor impairments and limited interaction with the environment. Non-invasive brain stimulation such as high-definition transcranial direct current stimulation (HD-tDCS) and music stimulation show promise in awakening this population. OBJECTIVE: In this study, we present a protocol aiming at investigating the efficacy of combined HD-tDCS and music stimulation in awakening patients with pDOC through a single-blind, randomized controlled trial. METHODS: Ninety patients with pDOC will be randomly divided into three groups: active HD-tDCS with music stimulation, active HD-tDCS, and sham HD-tDCS. All participants will receive 20 treatment sessions over a period of 10 days and the Coma Recovery Scale-Revised, Glasgow Outcome Scale and electroencephalogram will be used as assessment measures to evaluate their level of consciousness throughout the study. Adverse events and complications will be recorded during treatment. Within-group pre-post comparisons and between-group efficacy comparisons will be conducted to identify the most effective intervention approach. Statistical analysis will be performed using SPSS software with a significance level set at P < 0.05. CONCLUSION: The pursuit of awakening therapy for patients with pDOC remains a clinical research challenge. This study protocol is designed with the aim of introducing an innovative non-pharmacological approach which combined HD-tDCS and music stimulation to facilitate the reinstatement of consciousness in patients with pDOC.

Findings from a pragmatic cluster randomised controlled feasibility trial of a music and dance programme for community dwelling older adults.

INTRODUCTION: Functional decline, chronic illness, reduced quality of life and increased healthcare utilisation are common in older adults. Evidence suggests music and dance can support healthy ageing in older adults. This study explored the feasibility, potential for effect and cost effectiveness of the Music and Movement for Health (MMH) programme among community-dwelling older adults using a pragmatic cluster-randomised, controlled feasibility trial design. METHODS: Community-dwelling adults aged 65 years or older were recruited to seven clusters in the Mid-West region of Ireland. Clusters were block randomised to either the MMH intervention or control. Primary feasibility outcomes included recruitment, retention, adherence, fidelity, and safety. Secondary outcomes measured physical activity, physical and cognitive performance, and psychosocial well-being, along with healthcare utilisation were assessed at baseline and after 12 weeks. RESULTS: The study successfully met feasibility targets, with recruitment (n = 100), retention (91 %), adherence (71 %), data completeness (92 %) and intervention fidelity (21 out of 24) all meeting predetermined criteria. Both groups exhibited an increase in self-reported physical activity and improved physical function. Participants in the intervention group scored consistently better in psychosocial measures compared to the control group at follow-up. The health economic analysis confirmed the feasibility of the methodology employed and points to the potential cost-effectiveness of the MMH relative to the control or no organised programme. DISCUSSION AND IMPLICATIONS: The MMH intervention and study design were found to be feasible and acceptable with important findings to inform future evaluation of the clinical and cost-effectiveness of a definitive randomised controlled trial.

Music Listening in Stem Cell Transplantation and Acute Myeloid Leukemia: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

CONTEXT: Music listening (ML) has been shown to have a beneficial effect on patients with cancer. However, novel intervention approaches are needed. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to determine whether ML based on the iso-principle, conducted using a mobile application (GloMus), improves symptom burden, quality of life (QoL), anxiety, and depression in patients undergoing stem cell transplantation (SCT) and intensive induction chemotherapy for acute myeloid leukemia (AML). METHODS: In this randomized controlled clinical trial, we assigned 71 patients to the ML or standard care (SC) groups, stratified by the reason for admission (AML, allogeneic-SCT, or inpatient/outpatient autologous-SCT). Upon admission, participants in the ML groups were invited to undergo daily ML sessions designed to change negative moods into positive ones (iso-principle). The intervention consisted of listening to pre-recorded classical music ordered by beats per minute and tonality. Symptom burden (Edmonton Symptom Assessment System-Revised) was assessed in the ML groups before and after each session. Anxiety, depression (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale), and QoL (Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Bone Marrow Transplantation/Leukemia) were measured weekly in the ML and SC groups. RESULTS: Symptom burden in both allogeneic- and inpatient autologous-SCT ML groups reduced after the intervention. In all experimental groups, clinically important improvements were observed after ML sessions. No differences were found between the groups (ML vs. SC) at different weeks of admission regarding anxiety, depression, and QoL. CONCLUSIONS: ML based on our innovative iso-principle strategy, conducted using GloMus, reduced the symptom burden in patients undergoing allogeneic- and inpatient autologous-SCT (ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT05696457).