Musical playlists for addressing depression in people with dementia

Numerous studies have demonstrated that active forms of music therapy can have a positive influence on depressive symptoms, agitation, and cognitive functioning in people with dementia (O'Connor, Ames, Gardner, & King, 2009). Despite these obvious benefits, musical interventions for people with dementia that require the presence of a professional therapist or live musician are limited by significant costs and logistical factors, making them inaccessible to many patients (Nair, Browne, Marley, & Heim, 2013). There is thus increasing interest in the use of prerecorded music for therapeutic purposes outside of formal music-therapy settings.