Summary: Neurology patients who received personalized live music through tele-music sessions reported reduced stress and anxiety and an improved emotional state.
Source: Northwestern University
A violinist performing a soothing, personalized piece for a hospitalized patient via tele-music provided what researchers describe as “psychological first aid,” according to a Northwestern Medicine study of neurological patients who received live remote music therapy during the COVID-19 lockdown.
When visitors were restricted and patients in the neuroscience unit experienced isolation from family and friends, a tailored musical intervention delivered over video improved mood, eased anxiety and created moments of enjoyment, the study found.
“Music interventions, and in this case tele-music, can influence patients’ emotional well-being, support family members and assist the health care team in improving care,” said lead author Dr. Borna Bonakdarpour, professor of neurology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and a Northwestern Medicine neurologist.
The study is scheduled for publication in Frontiers in Neurology on Dec. 13.
Dr. Bonakdarpour said the benefits seen in the neuroscience unit likely extend to other hospital specialties and outpatient settings: “Music as a clinical tool remains underutilized in hospitals and clinics, yet it can play a meaningful role in patient-centered care.”
Patients reported feeling emotionally supported by the live musical interactions. For some, music stimulated speech; for others, it prompted them to move or even dance in their beds despite the neurological conditions for which they were admitted.
The aesthetic experience of hearing live, personalized music in a hospital—an experience not typically associated with medical stays—helped empower patients and their families and made medical procedures easier, since patients were calmer and more cooperative.
Nurses observed that emotionally distressed patients tend to request more attention and care. According to staff accounts, patients who received the musical intervention appeared more content with their hospital experience, which can reduce the workload associated with agitation and anxiety.
Each study participant was offered a 30-minute live music session over FaceTime performed by a clinically trained violist, working in consultation with a board-certified music therapist and a certified music practitioner. Music selections were personalized for each patient using a Music Assessment Tool, where patients or caregivers listed preferred music and identified music they found objectionable.
After each session, participants completed a questionnaire rating how the music affected their emotional state on a 1-to-10 scale. Scores were averaged across patients and converted to percentage-based summaries to quantify the intervention’s impact.
Over a three-month pilot period, clinicians completed 87 tele-music sessions. Despite varying degrees of neurological impairment among patients, the majority reported clear benefits: 92% agreed the session improved their emotional state, 92.4% described the session as a pleasurable experience, and 89.5% reported reduced stress and anxiety following the intervention.
“This study highlights the value of demographically and clinically informed music and art interventions as an essential component of holistic care,” Bonakdarpour said.
The pilot project serves as a foundation for additional research on how music therapy and tele-music can support hospitalized neurology patients. Northwestern investigators are expanding this work to study music’s effects in people with epilepsy and dementia, using objective physiological measures such as heart rate monitoring, functional MRI and electroencephalography to better understand biological responses to music.
About this psychology and music research news
Author: Marla Paul
Source: Northwestern University
Contact: Marla Paul – Northwestern University
Image: The image is in the public domain
Original Research: The findings will appear in Frontiers in Neurology