Music therapy was linked to higher cognitive test scores in older adults
A pooled analysis favored music therapy on a cognition test, while practical benefits and the duration of any improvement remained unclear.
Based on the published abstract. The full paper may contain additional methods, results and limitations.
The 30-second takeaway
Older adults with mild cognitive impairment who received music therapy had higher Mini-Mental State Examination scores than control groups in the pooled analysis. The difference supports a possible benefit on this cognitive test. The abstract does not show whether it meant better everyday functioning, lasting improvement or a lower likelihood of developing dementia.
The abstract does not describe therapy schedules, control activities, follow-up duration or participant totals. These gaps limit an abstract-based assessment of who benefited and whether the observed score difference was clinically meaningful.
What researchers found
Mini-Mental State Examination score
Average scores were 0.58 standard deviations higher with music therapy than with control conditions. This standardized mean difference is not in raw test points. Assessment timing was not reported in the abstract.
Understanding standardized scores
Standardization expresses the score difference relative to the spread of test scores, allowing comparisons on a shared scale. A positive estimate favored music therapy, but its magnitude alone does not establish a noticeable benefit in everyday life.
Limits of publication checks
The authors' checks did not detect statistically significant publication bias. That does not prove all relevant findings were available, or rule out missing studies and selective reporting in the evidence they pooled.
The original publication
Efficacy of music therapy on mild cognitive impairment in the aging population: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Li Y, Jiang X, Zhu M et al.
Medicine (Baltimore) · 2026
- PubMed ID
- 41560070
- Record checked
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