Effects of music therapy on cognition, quality of life, and neuropsychiatric symptoms of patients with dementia: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Dementia is a major cause of disability and dependency. Pharmacological interventions are commonly provided to patients with dementia to delay the deterioration of cognitive functions but cannot alter the course of disease. Nonpharmacological interventions are now attracting increasing scholarly interest. In accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses statement, we aim to assess the effectiveness of music-based therapies on the cognition, quality of life (QoL), and neuropsychiatric symptoms of patients with dementia through a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs). The PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane databases were searched for reports of RCTs examining the effectiveness of music-based therapies for dementia published as of April 2023. A total of 674 articles were screened, and 22 trials from 21 studies (1780 patients) met the eligibility criteria. In 15 trials, music-based therapies significantly improved the cognition of patients with dementia compared with non-music therapies. In 11 trials, music-based therapies also significantly improved the QoL of patients with dementia compared with non-music therapies. In six trials, music-based therapies significantly improved patients’ neuropsychiatric symptoms compared with non-music therapies. In conclusion, music-based therapy is recognized as a safe and effective alternative approach for patients with dementia.