Effects of Music Therapy on Mood in Stroke Survivors: A Narrative Review

Stroke is the second leading cause of death and the third leading cause of disability worldwide. Positive effects on mood in stroke survivors can inspire motivation for rehabilitation and contribute to improvement in daily living functions and functional level. Guidelines in stroke rehabilitation recommend the use of a multidisciplinary approach. Different approaches and techniques with music are used in the stroke rehabilitation to improve motor and cognitive functions but also psychological outcomes. The aim of this article is to provide a narrative review of the current literature on music therapy and its effects on mood disorders among stroke survivors. In order to carry out a narrative literature review, two independent investigators searched in PubMed, Google Scholar, and Cochrane databases to select randomized controlled trials in English regarding music and music therapy interventions for stroke; the trials were published in peer-reviewed journals from January 2000 to March 2020. Trials that include outcomes concerning mood or depression; where experimental conditions were clearly stated and consisted only or primarily of musical activities were considered for the review. Four articles met the inclusion criteria and were included in this review. Among these, all four were randomized controlled trials. The current review showed music therapy can be used to alleviate mood disorders and how music therapy can improve mood and psychological well-being in stroke survivors. Music therapy is an effective and economical tool to alleviate mood disorders in people with Stroke. Future studies should adopt rigorous methodological criteria to carry out larger samples and various music therapy interventions