Effect of Music Interventions on Cognitive Function in Older Adults With Mild Cognitive Impairment: A Systematic Review

Musical Activity Engagement, Depressive Symptoms, Physical Activity, and Cognitive Function in People With Type 2 Diabetes

BACKGROUND

Music interventions have beneficial effects on cognitive function and related risk factors, such as depressive symptoms and behavior of exercise participation. However, little research has been conducted on music's effects on people with type 2 diabetes, and evidence of the effect remains inconclusive in this population.

OBJECTIVES

Guided by the theory of music, mood, and movement (MMM), this exploratory study aimed to examine the direct and indirect effects of musical activity engagement, depressive symptoms, and physical activity on cognitive function in people with type 2 diabetes.

METHODS

The present study is a secondary data analysis using the cross-sectional data collected from the Memory, Attention, and Problem-Solving Skills for Persons With Diabetes trial conducted between 2021 and 2023. Data were collected using self-reported questionnaires and a computerized cognitive assessment tool. A total of 189 people with type 2 diabetes and subjective cognitive decline were included in the study. Path analysis was conducted using IBM SPSS AMOS to examine the pathways of the proposed conceptual framework.

RESULTS

The study results partially support the MMM model for subjective cognitive function but not objective cognitive function. The path model demonstrated the significant direct effects of musical activity engagement on physical activity, physical activity on subjective cognitive function, and depressive symptoms on physical activity as well as on subjective cognitive function. There was a significant indirect effect of musical activity engagement on subjective cognitive function through physical activity-which fully mediated this relationship. However, no significant direct effect of musical activity engagement on depressive symptoms and subjective cognitive function was found.

DISCUSSION

The findings suggest that regular assessment of the presence of depressive symptoms and physical activity participation should be done in people with type 2 diabetes to identify potential modifiable factors and develop targeted interventions for cognitive health promotion. Also, our findings provide insights into the potential use of music to facilitate physical activity and manage cognitive health in people with type 2 diabetes. This study partially supports the MMM model; however, more research with a rigorous study design and larger sample size is needed to better understand the relationships among musical activity engagement, depressive symptoms, physical activity, and cognitive function.

Art therapies and cognitive function in elderly with subjective cognitive decline: a protocol for a network meta-analysis

INTRODUCTION

Subjective cognitive decline means a decline in the subjective perception of self-cognitive function, which is likely to evolve into mild cognitive impairment and dementia. The number of elderly with subjective cognitive decline has increased, bringing huge burdens and challenges to caregivers and society. With the increase in research on art therapies, some of them have gradually been proven to be effective for cognitive function. Therefore, this study aims to summarise the evidence and identify the best art therapy for elderly with subjective cognitive decline.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

We will include published randomised controlled trials written in English and Chinese if the intervention is one of the art therapies and applied in people aged 60 and above with subjective cognitive decline. Eight electronic databases, including the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, PubMed, Web of Science, Elsevier, China BioMedical Literature Database, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, VIP Database and Wanfang Database, will be searched from January 2013 to December 2023. Art therapies will mainly include music therapy, reminiscence therapy, painting therapy, dance therapy, reading therapy, horticultural therapy, museum therapy, calligraphy therapy and so on. The outcome will be cognitive function. Study selection, data extraction and quality assessment will be performed by two reviewers. The risk of bias will be evaluated according to the Cochrane Collaboration's risk-of-bias tool, and the evidence quality will be assessed with the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation. Standard pairwise meta-analysis and Bayesian network meta-analysis will be conducted. The probabilities of each art therapy will be ranked based on the surface under the cumulative ranking curve.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

Ethical approval is not required for reviewing published studies. To provide important evidence for clinicians and guideline developers, the findings of this study will be submitted to a peer-reviewed journal.

PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER

CRD42023443773.

The impact of musical reward responses on cognitive function in older adults with type 2 diabetes

Cognitive decline is prevalent in older adults with type 2 diabetes (T2DM). The use of music has emerged to improve cognitive health. Even though reward from music has been shown to improve cognitive function, no studies have focused on specific factors of musical reward. This study investigated which factors of musical reward impact cognitive function in older adults with T2DM. A secondary data analysis was conducted with 185 older adults with T2DM and subjective cognitive decline. Among the musical reward factors, mood regulation significantly influenced subjective cognitive function (β = 0.315; p < 0.001). The findings suggest that music interventions for older adults with T2DM may need to focus on managing their psychological states for the intervention to have beneficial effects on cognitive function. Future rigorous studies with larger sample sizes should be done to obtain robust evidence for optimal music interventions for older adults with T2DM.