Background: Music listening has been shown to reduce anxiety, stress, and patient tolerance of procedures. Music may also have beneficial effects on inflammatory biomarkers in intensive care and post-operative patients, but the quality of evidence is not clear.
Objectives: We conducted a systematic review to evaluate the effects of music on inflammatory biomarkers in intensive care, and post-operative patients.
Methods: A comprehensive search of the literature was performed. After screening 1570 references, full text review of 26 studies was performed. Fourteen studies were selected for inclusion.
Results: Seven studies showed a significant decrease in cortisol levels, but the level of evidence was low. Three studies had low risk of methodological bias, while 11 studies had high risk of bias.
Conclusions: Music intervention may decrease cortisol levels, but other biomarkers remain unchanged. Given the low level of evidence, further research on music effects on inflammatory biomarkers is needed.
Keywords: Biomarkers; Brain dysfunction; Cortisol; Delirium; Music; Stress.
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