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

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.