Music therapy with adult burn patients in the intensive care unit: short-term analysis of electrophysiological signals during music-assisted relaxation.
Jose Cordoba-Silva, Rafael Maya, Mario Valderrama, Luis Felipe Giraldo, William Betancourt-Zapata, Andrés Salgado-Vasco, Juliana Marín-Sánchez, Viviana Gómez-Ortega, Mark Ettenberger
Author Information
Jose Cordoba-Silva: Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia.
Rafael Maya: Department of Social Management, Music Therapy Service University Hospital Fundación Santa Fe de Bogotá, Bogotá, Colombia.
Mario Valderrama: Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia.
Luis Felipe Giraldo: Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia.
William Betancourt-Zapata: Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia.
Andrés Salgado-Vasco: Department of Social Management, Music Therapy Service University Hospital Fundación Santa Fe de Bogotá, Bogotá, Colombia.
Juliana Marín-Sánchez: Burn Unit, University Hospital Fundación Santa Fe de Bogotá, Bogotá, Colombia.
Viviana Gómez-Ortega: Burn Unit, University Hospital Fundación Santa Fe de Bogotá, Bogotá, Colombia.
Mark Ettenberger: Department of Social Management, Music Therapy Service University Hospital Fundación Santa Fe de Bogotá, Bogotá, Colombia. musicoterapia@fsfb.org.co.
Burn patients often face elevated pain, anxiety, and depression levels. Music therapy adds to integrative care in burn patients, but research including electrophysiological measures is limited. This study reports electrophysiological signals analysis during Music-Assisted Relaxation (MAR) with burn patients in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). This study is a sub-analysis of an ongoing trial of music therapy with burn patients in the ICU. Electroencephalogram (EEG), electrocardiogram (ECG), and electromyogram (EMG) were recorded during MAR with nine burn patients. Additionally, background pain levels (VAS) and anxiety and depression levels (HADS) were assessed. EEG oscillation power showed statistically significant changes in the delta (p < 0.05), theta (p = 0.01), beta (p < 0.05), and alpha (p = 0.05) bands during music therapy. Heart rate variability tachograms high-frequencies increased (p = 0.014), and low-frequencies decreased (p = 0.046). Facial EMG mean frequency decreased (p = 0.01). VAS and HADS scores decreased - 0.76 (p = 0.4) and - 3.375 points (p = 0.37) respectively. Our results indicate parasympathetic system activity, attention shifts, reduced muscle tone, and a relaxed state of mind during MAR. This hints at potential mechanisms of music therapy but needs to be confirmed in larger studies. Electrophysiological changes during music therapy highlight its clinical relevance as a complementary treatment for ICU burn patients.Trial registration: Clinicaltrials.gov (NCT04571255). Registered September 24th, 2020. https//classic.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04571255.
