Archie, P., Bruera, E., & Cohen, L. (2013). Music-based interventions in palliative cancer care: A review of quantitative studies and neurobiological literature. Supportive Care in Cancer, 21, 2609–2624.
STUDY PURPOSE: To review the evidence for efficacy of music interventions for patients with cancer receiving palliative care and review the neurobiological evidence to explain pathways by which music may have an effect
TYPE OF STUDY: Systematic review
DATABASES USED: PubMed, CINAHL, Plus, Ovid, PsycINFO, PoQuest, and the Cochrane Library
KEYWORDS: music; music therapy; cancer; oncology; palliative care; pain; anxiety; depression; mood; quality of life; neuroscience; endogenous opioids; dopamine; GABA; 5HT; permutations
INCLUSION CRITERIA: RCT; meta-analysis or systematic review from 1970–2012
EXCLUSION CRITERIA: Not reported
TOTAL REFERENCES RETRIEVED: Not reported
EVALUATION METHOD AND COMMENTS ON LITERATURE USED: Not reported
In the acute pain setting, music had a moderate analgesic effect with SMD of -.059, 95% CI -0.90, -0.27 (p = .0003). Effect for chronic pain is not known and has not been well studied. The study cites results of a Cochrane review of effects of music on anxiety (SMD -11.2, p = .0088). It is noted that effect on anxiety only has been studied in the acute, situational setting. Longer-term effects and application in palliative care are unknown. Review of neurobiologic evidence suggests that music may affect specific pathways that are implicated in the pathophysiology of pain, anxiety, and depression.
Music interventions have a moderate positive effect on procedural pain and acute, situational anxiety.
Music may be helpful to reduce acute anxiety and procedure-related pain. This is a simple intervention nurses could use in a variety of settings. Longer-term effects and effects in different situations are not known.