Music in the endoscopy suite: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled studies

Background and study aim: Prior studies have suggested that music therapy can provide stress relief and analgesia. In this meta-analysis we focused on the effects of music therapy on patients undergoing gastrointestinal endoscopic procedures.

Materials and methods: A literature search using the PubMed and Cochrane Library databases and a manual search led to the inclusion of six randomized controlled trials that examined the effects of music therapy on patients undergoing gastrointestinal endoscopic procedures. After data extraction, four separate meta-analyses were performed: in the three studies that did not use pharmacotherapy (group A), anxiety levels were used as a measure of efficacy; in the three studies in which pharmacotherapy was used (group B), sedation and analgesia requirements and procedure duration times were analyzed.

Results: A total of 641 patients were included in the analysis. In group A, patients receiving music therapy exhibited lower anxiety levels (8.6 % reduction, P = 0.004), compared with controls. In group B, patients receiving music therapy exhibited statistically significant reductions in analgesia requirements (29.7 % reduction, P = 0.001) and procedure times (21 % reduction, P = 0.002), and a reduction in sedation requirements that approached significance (15 % reduction, P = 0.055), in comparison with controls.

Conclusions: Music therapy is an effective tool for stress relief and analgesia in patients undergoing gastrointestinal endoscopic procedures.

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