I don’t personally know any music therapists that work with patients who are mechanically ventilated for the purpose of reducing anxiety. These two research studies suggest that perhaps we should be doing just that.

The first study by Han et al. (2010) was a randomized controlled trial using music to reduce the physiological stress and anxiety level of patients who are mechanically ventilated. The study took place in China in a large intensive care unit (ICU). Patients listed self-selected music for 30 minutes. During this time, the patients’ heart rate, respiratory rate, oxygen saturation and blood pressure were measured at regular intervals. In addition, the patients completed the Chinese version of the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Scale. The patients either listened to music with headphones, had headphones but no music, or had no intervention at all (control). The participants in the music listening group had a significant reduction in heart rate and respiratory rate as well as reduced anxiety. The control group actually had increased heart rate and respiratory rate and the headphone group demonstrated decreased anxiety. The authors speculate that this could be because the headphones blocked out the hospital noises.

Although none of the study authors appear to be music therapists and the article appeared in the Journal of Clinical Nursing, they did mention entrainment, and chose music that was 60-80 beats per minute. They also did not claim that this intervention was music therapy.

The participants were able to choose from a selection of 40 pieces of music that was between 60-80 beats per minute. The graphs included in the article show variations in the heart rate and respiratory rate over the 30 minute period, but the article was not specific about if the music was chosen so that the faster music was used at the beginning of the listening period. As a music therapist, I have to wonder if using live patient preferred music could have even been more effective. Live music can be adjusted to match each individual patient’s heart rate or respiratory rate initially, and then reduce down to a slower tempo.

This study was conducted in a clinical setting, so a music therapist could actually take this protocol and apply it right away. Another option would be to try the protocol but with live music. The music therapist could then either record herself or personalize recorded music so that the individual could have the intervention more often, but the music therapist might not need to be there for every session. I found this article to be an interesting read.

The second study by Austin (2010) was a literature review of several research studies on the use of music therapy in pediatric intensive care units (PICU) with patients who were mechanically ventilated. The author concludes that there are not enough high quality studies on the use of music therapy in PICU environments to initiate a national guideline for music therapy in the PICU. However, the author states that there is a need for music therapy in the PICU because it is age appropriate, inexpensive, and facilitates positive psychological and physiological changes.

References:

Austin, D. (2010). The psychophysiological effects of music therapy in intensive care units. Paediatric Nursing, 22(3), 14-20. PMID: 20426353

Han, L. et al. (2010). Effects of music intervention on physiological stress response and anxiety level of mechanically ventilated patients in China: a randomized controlled trial. Journal of Clinical Nursing, (19), 978-987. PMID: 20492042