Active music interventions and music therapy in motor neuron disease: A systematic review

The purpose of this systematic review was to investigate the clinical effectiveness of active musicbased interventions and music therapy for physiological and psychological outcomes in patients with motor neuron disease. Four online databases were searched from inception to June 2020 in addition to a hand search. Inclusion criteria were: original article published in English available in full text; included participants with motor neuron disease; employed an active music-based intervention or music therapy (i.e. interventions that involved only passive music listening were excluded); pre- and post-intervention measures reported. Screening was completed using the online Covidence platform and followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines (PRISMA-2009). The QualSyst critical appraisal tool and the Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine Levels of Evidence were used to assess study quality and level of evidence. Of the 183 articles initially identified, only two met inclusion criteria, both of which were conducted by an accredited music therapist. Intervention procedures and outcome measures differed between studies. One randomised controlled trial reported positive outcomes in quality of life, while the other repeated measures study reported no changes in physiological and psychological measures. Due to limited available evidence, the effectiveness of music therapy for psychosocial and physiological outcomes in patients with motor neuron disease remains unknown. Further research utilising larger sample sizes is needed to adequately assess the effectiveness of music therapy in motor neuron disease on physiological and psychological outcomes.