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We undertook a randomised controlled trial to assess whether a music therapy (MT) scheme of administration, including three working cycles of one month spaced out by one month of no treatment, is effective to reduce behavioural disturbances in severely demented patients. Sixty persons with severe dementia (30 in the experimental and 30 in the control group) were enrolled. Baseline multidimensional assessment included demographics, Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE), Barthel Index and Neuropsychiatry Inventory (NPI) for all patients. All the patients of the experimental and control groups received standard care (educational and entertainment activities). In addition, the experimental group received three cycles of 12 active MT sessions each, three times a week. Each 30-min session included a group of three patients. Every cycle of treatment was followed by one month of wash-out. At the end of this study, MT treatment resulted to be more effective than standard care to reduce behavioural disorders. We observed a significant reduction over time in the NPI global scores in both groups (F7,357 = 9.06, p < 0.001) and a significant difference between groups (F1,51 = 4.84, p < 0.05) due to a higher reduction of behavioural disturbances in the experimental group at the end of the treatment (Cohen's d = 0.63). The analysis of single NPI items shows that delusions, agitation and apathy significantly improved in the experimental, but not in the control group. This study suggests the effectiveness of MT approach with working cycles in reducing behavioural disorders of severely demented patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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 (F1,49 = 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: F1,48 = 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. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]