SynthesisFrontiers in psychiatry2022
Effectiveness of music therapy in children with autism spectrum disorder: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Synthesis in Frontiers in psychiatry, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 15 papers, 5 of them syntheses that pooled 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.
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.
Who cites it
15 citing papers in PubMed, 5 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 40 citations in OpenAlex.
- When music tells a story: children's language and socioemotional development through music-supported narrative learning.Frontiers in psychology · 2026Pooled it
- Comparative effectiveness of physical exercise interventions on sociability and communication in children and adolescents with autism: a systematic review and network meta-analysis.BMC psychology · 2024Pooled it
- The benefit of rhythm-based interventions for individuals with autism spectrum disorder: a systematic review and meta-analysis with random controlled trials.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2024Pooled it
- The effectiveness of music therapy in improving behavioral symptoms among children with autism spectrum disorders: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2024Pooled it
- The effect of music therapy on language communication and social skills in children with autism spectrum disorder: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Frontiers in psychology · 2024Pooled it
- A Review of Therapeutic Approaches for Autism Spectrum Disorder.Brain sciences · 2025Review
- The Effectiveness of Art Therapy on Children and Adolescents with ASD: A Systematic Review of RCTs.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Review
- The Role of Capoeira in Improving Motor and Social Skills in Children with Autism.Children (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- [Effect of music therapy on brain function of autistic children based on power spectrum and sample entropy].Sheng wu yi xue gong cheng xue za zhi = Journal of biomedical engineering = Shengwu yixue gongchengxue zazhi · 2025Article
- Melodic bridges: music intervention as a catalyst for social skills development in preschool children with autism.Frontiers in psychology · 2025Article
- Music Therapy as a Tool to Unveil Musical Potential or Hidden Savant in Children with Autism: A Case Study.Children (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Article
- Evidence for music therapy and music medicine in psychiatry: transdiagnostic meta-review of meta-analyses.BJPsych open · 2024Review
- Review
- Interventions through Art Therapy and Music Therapy in Autism Spectrum Disorder, ADHD, Language Disorders, and Learning Disabilities in Pediatric-Aged Children: A Systematic Review.Children (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Review
- Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Objectives: This study was to investigated the efficacy of music therapy (MT) in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) via a meta-analysis that comprehensively evaluated data from all eligible research in this field. Design: Systematic review and meta-analysis. Setting: A systematic search of the PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases from inception to October 2021 to identify studies that administered MT to children with ASD. Results: Eight randomized controlled trials (RCTs) including 608 participants met the inclusion criteria. The meta-analysis showed that MT was associated with a significant increase in social reactions among children with ASD (standardized mean difference (SMD) = 0.24, 95% confidence interval (CI) [0.03, 0.46], Conclusion: MT can improve social skills in children with ASD; however, there does not seem to be a consensus on the persistence of its effects. These findings can inform clinical practice. Promoting the use of MT in children with ASD and improving its symptoms are the ultimate goals.
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Registered trials
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.