Abstract
To conduct a meta-analysis of clinical trials that examined the effect of music-supported therapy on stroke-induced motor dysfunction, comprehensive literature searches of PubMed, Embase and the Cochrane Library from their inception to April 2016 were performed. A total of 10 studies (13 analyses, 358 subjects) were included; all had acceptable quality according to PEDro scale score. The baseline differences between the two groups were confirmed to be comparable. Compared with the control group, the standardized mean difference of 9-Hole Peg Test was 0.28 (−0.01, 0.57), 0.64 (0.31, 0.97) in Box and Block Test, 0.47 (0.08, 0.87) in Arm Paresis Score and 0.35 (−0.04, 0.75) in Action Research Arm Test for upper-limb motor function, 0.11 (−0.24, 0.46) in Berg Balance Scale score, 0.09 (−0.36, 0.54) in Fugl-Meyer Assessment score, 0.30 (−0.15, 0.74) in Wolf Motor Function Test, 0.30 (−0.15, 0.74) in Wolf Motor Function time, 0.65 (0.14, 1.16) in Stride length and 0.62 (0.01, 1.24) in Gait Velocity for total motor function, and 1.75 (0.94, 2.56) in Frontal Assessment Battery score for executive function. There was evidence of a positive effect of music-supported therapy, supporting its use for the treatment of stroke-induced motor dysfunction. This study was registered at PRESPERO (CRD42016037106).
Highlights
Stroke is a multifaceted and complicated condition
Our meta-analysis suggests that music-supported therapy has a positive effect on motor function as evaluated by the following instruments: the 9-Hole Peg Test, the Box and Block Test, the Arm Paresis Score and the Action Research Arm Test for upper limb motor function; the Berg Balance Scale, the Fugl-Meyer Assessment, the Wolf Motor Function Test, and Stride length and Gait Velocity for total motor function; and the Frontal Assessment Battery for executive function
Most trials suggested that music-supported therapy was associated with improvements in motor function
Summary
Stroke is a multifaceted and complicated condition. Stroke disease is one of the major causes of long-term disability and one of the leading causes of death worldwide[1,2]. Music-supported therapy has been developed with the aim of improving motor recovery after stroke. Music-supported therapy has been shown to be effective in post-stroke rehabilitation of motor function in some clinical trials[14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23]. Little research has focused on the potential therapeutic mechanisms by which music-supported therapy improves the motor functions of post-stroke patients. Many researchers suggest that improvement induced by music-supported therapy is due to the combined effects of intensive repetitive practice and musical stimulation[21], evidence to support these propositions has been unavailable. No previous reviews have provided a comprehensive overview with meta-analyses
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