Neurologic music therapy in multidisciplinary acute stroke rehabilitation: could it be feasible and helpful?

Background: There is increasing evidence for music-based interventions in neurorehabilitation, improving mood and functional outcomes. In response, there is growing interest from healthcare providers in setting up Neurologic Music Therapy (NMT) services. This paper presents some preliminary data on the feasibility and acceptability of NMT in the acute stroke, multidisciplinary team setting, about which little is known. Objectives: To assess the feasibility and acceptability of a two-day per-week NMT service over 24 months. Methods: Data were collected on the number of referrals received, sessions attended, sessions declined and reasons why. Staff completed questionnaires, and collected them from patients and their relatives, rating interventions: 1. Not helpful, 2. Quite helpful, 3. Helpful, 4. Very helpful. Patients completed the Visual Analogue Mood Scale (VAMS) pre-/post- a single session. Results: Of 201 patients referred, 177 received treatment and 675 sessions were delivered. Twenty-four patients were discharged before sessions were scheduled and twenty-eight sessions were declined, predominantly due to fatigue. Mean scores (SD) from questionnaire data were: patients (n = 99) 3.34 (0.825), relatives (n = 13) 3.83 (0.372), staff (n = 27) 3.85 (0.388). Mean, post-session VAMS data (n = 52) showed a non-significant reduction in ‘Sad’ (7.5, p = 0.007, CI = 2.1, 12.9) and an increase in ‘Happy’ (+ 6.2, p = 0.013, CI = -11.0, -1.4). Conclusions: Data suggest the service was feasible and helpful, particularly for patient mood, possibly improving engagement in rehabilitation. Research to determine generalisability in different stroke environments and treatment effects within them is warranted.