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By Stephen Beech
Music may reduce distress for dementia patients, suggests new research.
The findings show music therapy - singing, playing or just listening - could be used on NHS dementia wards as an alternative to drugs, say scientists.
It would improve care and support for some of the most vulnerable patients, according to the study published in the journal Frontiers in Psychiatry.
Researchers at Anglia Ruskin University (ARU), Cambridge, and Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust (CPFT) piloted a music therapy approach called MELODIC, across two dementia wards.
They say more alternatives to psychotropic medication are needed to support dementia patients who experience severe distress.
The pilot study involved a music therapist being embedded on hospital wards, the delivery of clinical music sessions and the implementation of musical care plans for each patient.
Music therapy, delivered by trained therapists, can include singing, playing or listening to music.
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The therapist can also identify specific ways that music can be used by families and carers in an patient’s daily care routine.
During the study, patient data suggested a slight improvement in quality-of-life scores among patients and a reduction in the severity of distress symptoms and disruptiveness, although agitation scores increased slightly.
There were no increases in routinely reported incidents, and no adverse events related to music therapy interventions were reported.
Study lead author Naomi Thompson, a researcher at the Cambridge Institute for Music Therapy Research at ARU, said: “People with dementia on inpatient mental health wards are often experiencing very high levels of distress, and staff are under immense pressure to manage this in ways that are safe and compassionate.
“Our study yielded promising results and importantly showed that the MELODIC tool can be used effectively in these highly complex settings, giving an alternative option to current ways of managing severe distress, such as psychotropic medication.”
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The approach was shaped by interviews with 49 healthcare professionals, patients, and their families about their experiences managing distress on dementia wards and using music in everyday care and life.
The intervention - co-designed by clinicians, researchers, and people with lived experience – cost just £2,025 per month for the therapist and £400 initial outlay for equipment.
Dr. Ben Underwood, research and development director at CPFT, said: “Some people with dementia can get so confused and distressed that we need to admit them to hospital to keep them safe.
"It can be difficult to manage distress in a ward environment and hard for patients, families and staff."
He added: “I am very excited that it may now be possible for NHS staff to improve their experience on dementia wards using the power of music, and we look forward to working with ARU to develop this further.”
