Preferred Music Listening Intervention Can Be Used to Address Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia: A Scoping Review of the Literature

The frequency of diagnoses of dementia is sharply increasing. Furthermore, the current pharmacological treatments to control the symptoms of dementia are known to cause adverse health effects. As a result, there is a growing need for nonpharmacological treatments that can control the behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD). Preferred music listening interventions have shown promise in reducing BPSD. It is suggested that preferred music listening interventions are able to block environmental stimuli that would normally trigger BPSD in persons with dementia (PWD) by eliciting positive memories and feelings that are associated with songs of significance to PWD. This study aimed to examine the relationship between preferred music listening interventions and changes in BPSD in PWD in a scoping review of the literature. Nine studies met inclusion criteria. Preferred music listening interventions had large effect on agitation, irritability, and aggression in PWD. However, several studies observed small effect sizes and non-significant results with regards to symptoms such as anxiety and depression, which may be a result of the variation in the methodology used in each of the studies. Thus, further research is necessary to identify whether preferred music listening interventions are a viable non-pharmacological approach to controlling BPSD as well as the best method by which to implement this intervention and yield statistically strong results.