Perioperative medicine & outcomes
Effects of Perioperative Music Interventions on Emotional Outcomes in Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review and Meta‐Analysis Integrating Developmental Psychology and Music Education Perspectives
Pooled result · Preoperative anxietyResult — go to the resultSMD −2.03 95% CI −3.19 to −0.86Authors' conclusion
Perioperative music was associated with reduced anxiety and pain, but evidence certainty was very low to low.
Study context
- Population
- Children and adolescents (≤ 18 years) undergoing surgery
- Participants
- 1,871 children · 17 RCTs
- Comparison
- Music vs no-music control
- Outcome
- Preoperative anxiety
Methodological detailsrandom-effects, Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE), Sensitivity analyses confirmed robustness
- Random-effects
- GRADE
- Sensitivity analyses confirmed robustness
Pooled result
As reported in the abstract
SMD
−2.03
95% CI −3.19 to −0.86
Music vs No-music control
SMD −2.03 (95% CI −3.19 to −0.86)
Further pooled results
| Outcome | SMD (95% CI) | |
|---|---|---|
| Postoperative painI2 = 62% | −0.64 (−1.01 to −0.27) | |
| −1.5−1−0.500.5Difference (linear scale) |
| Outcome | MD (bpm) (95% CI) | |
|---|---|---|
| Heart rateI2 = 88% | −12.92 (−19.07 to −6.77) | |
| −20−10010Difference, bpm (linear scale) |
| Outcome | MD (mmHg) (95% CI) | |
|---|---|---|
| MAPI2 = 66% | −8.41 (−10.07 to −6.76) | |
| −15−10−505Difference, mmHg (linear scale) |
SBP
- Effects on SBP not significant
Preoperative anxiety by age (subgroup)
- Anxiolytic effects significant in both children (≤ 12 years) and adolescents (≥ 13 years), no subgroup difference
Preoperative anxiety by music selection (subgroup)
- Self-selected and pre-selected music both effective
Original publication
Effects of Perioperative Music Interventions on Emotional Outcomes in Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review and Meta‐Analysis Integrating Developmental Psychology and Music Education Perspectives. Paediatr Anaesth. Published 13 June 2026. doi:10.
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