An Individualized Music-Based Intervention for Acute Neuropsychiatric Symptoms in Adults with Cognitive Impairment

Neuropsychiatric symptoms are common features of dementia, and these occur in three fourths of patients on psychogeriatric inpatient units. These symptoms have traditionally been treated with pharmacological agents, but many medications are as likely to harm patients with dementia as to help them. As a result, nonpharmacological interventions are increasingly being investigated as ways to reduce these symptoms. This 2018 study, published by the University of Kansas School of Medicine, concludes that agitation, negative mood, and positive mood all benefited from the music-based intervention, with resulting large effect sizes. These findings indicate that an easily implemented and reproducible music-based intervention, which is well tolerated and without adverse side effects, can be an effective way to reduce neuropsychiatric symptoms associated with dementia on a hospital unit. Read more.