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.

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.

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.

Personalized Music Therapy for Elderly Patients with Chronic Renal Failure to Improve their Quality of Life and Mental Health: A Retrospective Study.

BACKGROUND: Chronic renal failure (CRF) poses significant clinical risks. Therefore, attention should be paid to the daily nursing of such patients, and better clinical nursing programs should be provided. METHODS: The data of 120 patients with CRF at Yantai Yuhuangding Hospital from March 2020 to March 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. After 8 patients were excluded, 112 patients were finally included in this study. The included patients were divided into group A (58 patients receiving clinical routine nursing) and group B (54 patients receiving clinical routine nursing and personalized music) according to different nursing schemes. The anxiety level, depression level, quality of life (QOL), and clinical satisfaction of the patients in both groups were compared before and after nursing. RESULTS: Before the implementation of nursing, no significant difference existed in the levels of anxiety, depression, and QOL between the two groups (P > 0.05). After nursing, group B had significantly lower levels of anxiety and depression and significantly higher QOL than group A (P < 0.001). No significant difference in clinical nursing satisfaction was found between the two groups (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: The implementation of personalized music can improve the QOL and psychological states of patients, with clinical application value.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Efficacy and acceptability of music therapy for post-traumatic stress disorder: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Background: Music therapy is increasingly examined in randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and shows potential in treating post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).Objective: This systematic review and meta-analysis critically evaluates the current clinical evidence supporting the efficacy and acceptability of music therapy for PTSD.Method: RCTs comparing music therapy in addition to care as usual (CAU) versus either CAU alone or CAU combined with standard psychotherapy/pharmacotherapy for PTSD were retrieved from major English - and Chinese-language databases. Standardized mean differences (SMDs) for post-treatment PTSD symptom scores and risk differences (RDs) for retention rates upon treatment completion were calculated to assess the efficacy and acceptability of music therapy, respectively. The Cochrane risk of bias (RoB) tool 2.0 and the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluations (GRADE) were used to assess the RoB of included studies and certainty of the evidence, respectively.Results: Nine studies, incorporating 527 PTSD patients, were included, all with high RoB. The post-treatment PTSD symptom scores were significantly lower in the music therapy group than the inactive control group (SMD = -1.64, P < .001), but comparable between the music therapy group and the active control group (SMD = -0.28, P = .330). The retention rates did not differ significantly between the music therapy group and both control groups (RD = 0.03, P = .769; RD = 0.16, P = .829). The GRADE rated certainty level of evidence as low.Conclusions: Although meta-analytic findings suggest that music therapy is effective in reducing post-traumatic symptoms in individuals with PTSD, with its therapeutic effect comparable to that of standard psychotherapy, the low level of certainty limits its generalizability. More methodologically stringent studies are warranted to strengthen the clinical evidence for the efficacy and acceptability of music therapy for PTSD.

This systematic review critically appraised the existing methodologically rigorous evidence for the efficacy and acceptability of music therapy for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).The post-treatment PTSD symptom scores were significantly lower in the music therapy group than the inactive control group and comparable between the music therapy group and the active control group.The post-treatment retention rates did not differ significantly between the music therapy group and both the inactive and active control groups.

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.

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.

The effects of individual music therapy in nursing home residents with dementia to improve general well-being: study protocol of a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Dementia is often associated with Neuropsychiatric Symptoms (NPS) such as agitation, depression, hallucinations, anxiety, that can cause distress for the resident with dementia in long-term care settings and can impose emotional burden on the environment. NPS are often treated with psychotropic drugs, which, however, frequently cause side effects. Alternatively, non-pharmacological interventions can improve well-being and maintain an optimal quality of life (QoL) of those living with dementia. Other QoL related outcomes, such as pain, discomfort and sleep disruption are relevant outcomes in music trials as well. Music therapy is a non-pharmacological intervention that can reduce NPS and improve well-being, and its associated symptoms in dementia. METHODS: The research will be conducted at eight nursing home facilities of a health care organization in the Netherlands. A sample size of 30 in each group (experimental and control group) is required, totalling 60 residents increased to 80 when considering expected drop out to follow up. The participants in the intervention group receive 30 min of individual music therapy (MT) in their own room by a music therapist twice a week for 12 weeks. The participants in the control group will receive 30 min of individual attention in their own room by a volunteer twice a week for 12 weeks. Assessments will be done at baseline, 6 weeks and 12 weeks. An independent observer, blinded for the intervention or control condition, will assess directly observed well-being (primary outcome) and pain (secondary outcome) before and after the sessions. Nurses will assess other secondary outcomes unblinded, i.e., perceived quality of life and NPS, both assessed with validated scales. The sleep duration will be indirectly assessed by a wrist device called MotionWatch. Information about psychotropic drug use will be derived from electronic medical chart review. DISCUSSION: The main purpose of this study is to assess the effects of individual music therapy on directly observed well-being controlled for individual attention in nursing home residents with dementia with NPS. The outcomes refer to both short-term and long-term effects consistent with therapeutic goals of care for a longer term. We hope to overcome limitations of previous study designs such as not blinded designs and music facilitators that were not only music therapists but also occupational therapists and nurses. This study should lead to more focused recommendations for practice and further research into non-pharmacological interventions in dementia such as music therapy. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The trial is registered at the International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP) search portal in the Netherlands Trial Registration number NL7708, registration date 04-05-2019.

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.