Evidence map›Paper›PMID 30700278›Full record

ArticleBMC palliative care2019

"Song of Life (SOL)" study protocol: a multicenter, randomized trial on the emotional, spiritual, and psychobiological effects of music therapy in palliative care.

Marco Warth, Friederike Koehler, Martin Weber, Hubert J Bardenheuer, Beate Ditzen, Jens Kessler

Open access · goldAbstract readClinical Trial Protocol
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in BMC palliative care, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
8citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
4.3field-weighted citation impact, top 6% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

8 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 24 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Psychoneuroendocrinological effects of music therapy versus mindfulness in palliative care: results from the 'Song of Life' randomized controlled trial.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2022
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  4. Review
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Marco WarthInstitute of Medical Psychology, Center for Psychosocial Medicine, University Hospital Heidelberg, Bergheimer Str. 20, 69115, Heidelberg, Germany. marco.warth@med.uni-heidelberg.de.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3277-5516
Friederike KoehlerInstitute of Medical Psychology, Center for Psychosocial Medicine, University Hospital Heidelberg, Bergheimer Str. 20, 69115, Heidelberg, Germany.
Martin WeberInterdisciplinary Palliative Care Unit, III. Department of Medicine, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, Mainz, Germany.
Hubert J BardenheuerCenter of Pain Therapy and Palliative Care Medicine, Department of Anesthesiology, University Hospital Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 131, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany.
Beate DitzenInstitute of Medical Psychology, Center for Psychosocial Medicine, University Hospital Heidelberg, Bergheimer Str. 20, 69115, Heidelberg, Germany.
Jens KesslerCenter of Pain Therapy and Palliative Care Medicine, Department of Anesthesiology, University Hospital Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 131, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany.
Heidelberg University · DEJohannes Gutenberg University Mainz · DE

Funding

Sonnen-Blau. Gemeinnützige Morgott-Schupp-Stiftung für frühkindliche Erziehung und Palliativversorgung None
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundAlthough patients in palliative care commonly report high emotional and spiritual needs, effective psychosocial treatments based on high quality studies are rare. First research provides evidence for benefits of psychosocial interventions in advanced cancer care. To specifically address end-of-life care requirements, life review techniques and creative-arts based therapies offer a promising potential. Therefore, the present study protocol presents a randomized controlled trial on the effectiveness of a newly developed music therapy technique that is based on a biographically meaningful song ("Song of Life"; SOL).

methodsIn a design with two parallel arms, 104 patients at two palliative care units will be randomly assigned to three sessions of either SOL (experimental group) or relaxation exercises (control group). Improvements in the psychological domain of quality of life will be the primary endpoint, while secondary outcomes encompass spiritual well-being, ego-integrity, overall quality of life, and distress. Additionally, caregivers will be asked to provide feedback about the treatment. Assessment of biopsychological stress markers and qualitative analysis of perceived strengths and weaknesses will complement data collection. DISCUSSION: Based on the results of a previous pilot study, we dedicated considerable efforts to optimizing the intervention and selecting appropriate outcomes for the present trial. We are confident to have designed a methodologically rigorous study that will contribute to the evidence-base and help to develop the potential of psychosocial interventions in palliative care.

trial registrationGerman Clinical Trials Register (DRKS) - DRKS00015308 (date of registration: September 07th 2018).

Indexed as

Music TherapyAdolescentAdultAgedCaregiversEmotionsHeart RateHumansHydrocortisoneMiddle AgedMulticenter Studies as TopicNeoplasmsPalliative CarePatient SatisfactionProspective StudiesQuality of LifeHydrocortisoneCancerCortisolDistressEgo-integrityEnd-of-lifeHeart rate variabilityMusic therapyPalliative careQuality of lifeRandomized controlled trialSpiritual well-beingStress

Identifiers

PMID30700278
PMCPMC6354383
OpenAlexW2920956211

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.