Music-based interventions for unilateral spatial neglect: A systematic review

ABSTRACT

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of music-based interventions on unilateral spatial neglect. Five databases were retrieved prior to May 5, 2022. A range of study designs were considered, including randomized controlled trials, controlled clinical trials, cohorts, and case series/reports. Types of music-based interventions were not limited. Methodological quality of randomized trials were evaluated using the RoB 2 tool, and the RoBiNT scale was utilized to assess the quality of case studies. Two authors independently summarized main results for assessments. Search strategies identified 186 potentially relevant articles, and 10 articles were collected for in-depth analysis. Preliminary results showed that USN patients performed better in cancellation tests than bisection tests after music-based intervention. In summary, pleasant music listening may have a beneficial effect on the visual attention of USN patients, and it can be hypothesized that this is related to the positive mood and emotions of patients induced by music. Music with a dynamic auditory stimulus as a new music listening programme in USN rehabilitation is worthy of further investigation. Instrument playing intervention can be considered as a multisensory stimulation to ameliorate neglect performance via multiple mechanisms. However, current results only support the short-term positive effects of music-based interventions on USN.

KEYWORDS:

• Unilateral spatial neglect
• attention
• music-based interventions
• music listening
• instrument playing
• rehabilitation

Acknowledgements

We would like to express our sincere gratitude to Xinmin Li (School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Henan University of Chinese Medicine) for sharing valuable comments and suggestions.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data availability

The data used to support the results of this study are available from the corresponding author upon request.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the [National Natural Science Foundation of China] under Grant [81704135]; [Foundation of Henan Educational Committee] under Grant [18A360012].