Music did not show a clear stress advantage over book reading in dementia care
Stress measures changed within groups, but researchers found no statistically significant differences between music therapy, choir singing and book reading.
Based on the published abstract. The full paper may contain additional methods, results and limitations.
The 30-second takeaway
Music activities did not show a statistically clear stress advantage over book reading in these care home residents. Stress ratings and saliva markers changed within study groups, but those changes alone cannot identify a music-specific effect. The comparison also does not prove that the activities were equally effective.
Only 66% of saliva samples were valid for alpha-amylase testing and 62% for cortisol, limiting usable biological data. The abstract does not provide between-group effect sizes or confidence intervals.
What researchers found
Salivary cortisol, alpha-amylase and reported stress
Music therapy, choir singing and book reading, assessed around sessions in months 1, 3 and 6; reported stress used a visual analogue scale.
What the activities involved
Group music therapy involved familiar songs, reminiscence and optional movement or instruments. Choir sessions involved rehearsing songs in larger groups. Researchers compared these activities with a book-reading session.
Short-term stress outcomes
The reported outcomes were immediate stress ratings and saliva measurements around sessions. They do not establish changes in dementia symptoms, depression over time or daily functioning, which would require separate outcome evidence.
The original publication
The short-term impact of music interventions on stress: Results of a multinational cluster-randomized trial using salivary cortisol and alpha-amylase assessments in care home residents with dementia.
Rasing NL, Janus SIM, Vink AC et al.
Psychoneuroendocrinology · 2025
- PubMed ID
- 41072366
- Record checked
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