Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34008208›Full record

SynthesisJournal of the American Geriatrics Society2021

Effects of music participation for mild cognitive impairment and dementia: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Jennie L Dorris, Stephen Neely, Lauren Terhorst, Helena M VonVille, Juleen Rodakowski

Open access · greenAbstract readMeta-AnalysisSystematic Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 46 papers, 7 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
46citing papers in PubMed, 7 pooled it
14.5field-weighted citation impact, top 1% 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

46 citing papers in PubMed, 7 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 90 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
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  6. Interventions Within the Scope of Occupational Therapy to Improve Cognitive Performance for Individuals with Dementia and Mild Cognitive Impairment (2018-2022).The American journal of occupational therapy : official publication of the American Occupational Therapy Association · 2023
    Pooled it
  7. Pooled it
  8. Trial
  9. Trial
  10. Article
  11. The sound of longevity: music and technology for healthy ageing.Aging clinical and experimental research · 2026
    Review
  12. Article
  13. Review
  14. Article
  15. Article
  16. Understanding Music Participation for Adults With Down Syndrome.Journal of intellectual disability research : JIDR · 2025
    Article
  17. Article
  18. Article
  19. Article
  20. Article
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

5 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Jennie L DorrisDepartment of Occupational Therapy, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-1067-7387
Stephen NeelySchool of Music, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.
Lauren TerhorstDepartment of Occupational Therapy, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.
Helena M VonVilleHealth Sciences Library System, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.
Juleen RodakowskiDepartment of Occupational Therapy, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-6397-8124
University of Pittsburgh · USCarnegie Mellon University · US

Funding

INFLUENCE OF STRATEGY TRAINING ON DISABILITY FOR OLDER ADULTS WITH MILD COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENTR01AG056351 · NIA · UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT PITTSBURGH · PI RODAKOWSKI, JULEEN · 2019 to 2023
$3.2M
NIA NIH HHS R01 AG056351NIA NIH HHS R01AG056351
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesTo examine randomized controlled trials with active music-making interventions, in which older adults with probable mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or dementia physically participate in music, and their effects on cognitive functioning, emotional well-being, and social engagement. Participating in music-making is engaging and has shown diverse benefits. Additionally, this review categorized the music activities of each intervention.

designSystematic review and meta-analysis.

settingLong-term care facilities, day centers, specialty outpatient units, and community.

methodsPublished randomized controlled trials of active music-making interventions to support older adults with probable MCI or dementia were identified (to March 15, 2021) using searches on Medline (Ovid), APA PsycInfo (Ovid), CINAHL (Ebsco), and Embase (Elsevier). The outcomes were cognitive functioning, emotional well-being, and social engagement, including self- and clinician-reported measures such as the Mini-Mental State Examination, Positive and Negative Affect Schedule, and the Beck Depression Inventory. Studies were critically appraised and studies with similar methodology were meta-analyzed.

participantsOlder adults with probable MCI and mild or moderate dementia.

resultsA total of 21 studies with 1472 participants were analyzed for potential effect sizes and intervention activities. Of the 21 studies, nine studies recruiting a total of 495 participants were used to produce a random-effects meta-analytic model for cognitive functioning. Music showed a small, positive effect on cognitive functioning; the combined standard mean difference for the experimental and control group was 0.30 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.10, 0.51). There was low study heterogeneity, with an I

Indexed as

Music TherapyAgedCognitive DysfunctionDementiaHumansAlzheimer'scognitiondementiamoodmusic

Identifiers

PMID34008208
PMCPMC8440389
OpenAlexW3162558974

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceTDM
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.