Addendum to ‘Efficacy of music therapy treatment based on cycles of sessions: A randomised controlled trial’ (Raglio et al., 2010)

Objectives: The aim of this paper is to provide further detail about the results of a randomised controlled study published in this journal (Raglio et al., 2010, 14, 900-904), in which we assessed the efficacy of music therapy (MT) on the behavioural disturbances in people with moderate-severe dementia. Methods: Sixty patients were randomly assigned to the experimental (MT and standard care) and control group (standard care only). The experimental group received three cycles of 12 MT sessions each, three times a week. Each cycle of treatment was followed by one month of washout period, while the standard care activities continued over time. Results: The impact of the treatment (12 MT sessions) was reliable on NPI global scores, as the interaction Time by Group was significant (F 1,49=4.09, p=0.049). After the end of the treatment the NPI global scores of the experimental and control groups tended to become similar, as both groups worsened (Time effect: F 1,48=4.67, p=0.014) and the difference between them disappeared (F<1). Interaction Time by Group was not significant. Conclusions: The study confirms that active MT determines a positive response and can amplify and strengthen the efficacy of therapeutic interventions towards people with dementia.