Objective:

To assess the impact of MT on patient engagement, emotional well-being, physiological parameters (heart rate, blood pressure, respiratory rate, SpO2), and clinical recovery in a neurocritical care setting.

Background:

Music therapy (MT) has been shown to reduce anxiety, enhance well-being, and promote physiologic improvement for hospitalized patients. In neurocritical care, MT’s potential to promote patient and family connections, stabilize physiological parameters, and enhance clinical outcomes has not been studied. MT's integration into neurocritical care has the potential to improve emotional well-being while contributing to physiological stability and clinical recovery, particularly in patients with severe neurological conditions.

Design/Methods:

Retrospective chart review was performed on 63 patients who received 129 MT sessions at one neurocritical care unit. The patient cohort included diagnoses of intracerebral hemorrhage, subarachnoid hemorrhage, acute ischemic stroke, and autoimmune encephalitis. MT sessions were customized to patient preferences and clinical status, emphasizing cognitive engagement, emotional well-being, and family involvement. Pre- and post-session physiologic data were recorded, with trends analyzed in relation to clinical recovery markers including Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) scores.

Results:

MT sessions increased patient engagement with observed improvements in cognitive responsiveness (e.g., eye-tracking, hand gestures, emotional expressions). Families reported enhanced emotional connections and meaningful interactions during MT. Physiological parameters demonstrated stabilizing trends, with heart rate reductions noted in patients with elevated baselines, and modest reductions or stabilization in blood pressure. Respiratory rate and SpO2 remained stable. Some patients showed improved GCS scores after multiple MT sessions, suggesting MT’s role in cognitive recovery.

Conclusions:

This preliminary analysis suggests MT may enhance patient engagement, family interaction, and emotional well-being while promoting physiologic stabilization in neurocritical care. The observed improvements in GCS scores and physiological trends highlight MT’s potential as an adjunctive therapy, but prospective studies are needed to validate these findings and elucidate underlying mechanisms.