The effect of music therapy on anxiety and pain in patients undergoing prostate biopsy: A systematic review and meta-analysis

OBJECTIVES: This study aims to explore the effect of music therapy on pain, anxiety and physiologic parameters in patients undergoing prostate biopsy. DESIGN AND SETTING: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. INTERVENTIONS: Five databases were systematically searched. The included studies reported randomized controlled trials comparing the effects of music therapy and non-music therapy on pain, anxiety, and physiologic parameters in patients undergoing prostate biopsy. The random-effects meta-analyses were performed for data synthesis. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary outcome was pain; secondary outcomes included anxiety and physiologic parameters. RESULTS: We analyzed seven eligible studies involving 662 males undergoing prostate biopsy. We synthesized the mean difference between music and control groups in different outcomes. Compared with control groups, music therapy reduced pain (visual analog scale score, mean difference [95% CI]: -0.92 [-1.68 to -0.17], P = 0.017, low quality) and anxiety (State-Trait Anxiety Inventory equivalent scale score, mean difference [95% CI]: -4.37 [-7.72 to -1.03], P = 0.010, low quality) after the prostate biopsy. In terms of the physiological parameters, music therapy only slightly reduced heart rate, but not blood pressure and respiratory rate after the prostate biopsy. CONCLUSIONS: Low quality of evidence showed that music therapy during prostate biopsy might reduce pain and anxiety. However, a good standard of music intervention was lacking. Cost-effective analyses are warranted to better delineate the value of music therapies for prostate biopsy