SynthesisBMJ open2025
Singing interventions for people living with Parkinson's: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Synthesis in BMJ open, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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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
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Who cites it
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Authors and funding
2 authors.
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No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectivesTo evaluate the effects of singing interventions on well-being, mental health and communication, motor and respiratory functions through meta-analysis and to examine the practices used in the singing interventions.
designSystematic review and meta-analysis. INCLUSION CRITERIA: Both randomised and non-randomised studies, involving participants living with Parkinson's and receiving singing interventions. DATA SOURCES: Four databases (CINAHL, Medline, PsycINFO, Web of Science) and Google Scholar were searched. The last search was conducted on 3 April 2025. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: Eligible studies reported on the following outcomes: quality of life, voice-related acoustic measures, respiratory function, mental health and motor function. The risk of bias was assessed using the Downs and Black Quality checklist for controlled studies and national heart, lung, blood institute study quality assessment tool for non-controlled studies. ANALYSIS: Meta-analyses were conducted to pool effect sizes across included studies using random-effects models. All analyses were performed using Meta-Essentials. Additionally, key elements of singing practices were narratively synthesised.
results23 studies (3 randomised controlled trials (RCTs), 20 non-RCTs) involving 540 participants were included in the analysis. Common elements of singing intervention practices included breathing exercises, vocal warm-ups and singing participants' preferred songs, which are largely led by music therapists.Three meta-analyses based on RCTs were conducted on clinical outcome measures; results suggest that singing was favoured in only one outcome measure, vocal loudness during sustained vowel production (standard mean difference (SMD)=0.67, 95% CI 0.29 to 1.05, I
conclusionsSinging interventions may support people living with Parkinson's, but due to insufficient high-quality evidence, we are unable to determine the effects of singing interventions. We discuss implications for future work and practice, emphasising that more robust RCTs are needed.
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