| Year | Authors | Design | SS* (M/F) | Age range mean (SD) | Setting | Music intervention | Dependent variables | Instrument | Outcome |
| 1994 | Clair & Bernstein. | QE* (ABC) | 28 (27/1) | 56 - 81 | A day room, Veterans Affairs Medical Center | Group music activities (stimulative music and sedative music) | Agitation |
| No significant difference between no music, stimulative music and sedative music |
| 1996 | Brotons & Pickett-Cooper | QE | 20 (3/17) | 70 - 96 82 (6.57) | 4 Nursing homes | Group music activities | Agitation, dosages of PRN medication | DBRS* Video analysis | Significantly more agitated before music therapy than during, and after music herapy sessions |
| 2002 | Jennings &Vance | QE | 16 (2/14) | 78.80 (3.91) | An activity room, Alzheimer’s adult day care | Group music therapy: sing familiar songs, sing-alongs, and playing instrument | Agitation | M-CMAI* | Agitation was significantly reduced during music therapy compared to baseline: |
| 2003 | Brotons & Marti | One group pre-test and post-test | 11 pts & 11 care-givers |
| A rural area | Singing, playing instrument, & movement/ dance | -Agitation. -Caregiver’s burden and depression. | CMAQ,* Caregivers burden questionnaire, Back’s Depression Scale | Significant difference between pre and post-test scores in agitation, no significant difference in the caregivers’ burden and depression over time |
| 2007 | Ledger & Baker | A longitudinal epeated measures design | 45 | 71 - 96 | 13 Nursing homes | EG: group music therapy CG: no intervention | Agitation | CMAI* Interview | No significant difference between EG and CG in agitation over time. |
| 2013 | Ridder et al. | A pragmatic, two-armed, cross-over, exploratory, randomized controlled study | 42 | 66 - 96 (81) | 14 Nursing homes | EG: individualized music therapy Improvising, singing, dancing/ moving, listening, and other activities) CG: standard care | Agitation Medication QOL | CMAI* ADROL | Agitation and prescription of medication increased during standard care and decreased during music therapy significantly. |
| 2013 | Vink et al. | A randomized controlled design | 77 | 82.16 (6.87) | Dutch nursing homes, Netherlands | EG: music therapy (singing, dancing, playing a musici nstrument etc.) CG: recreational activities | Agitation | CMAI | A decrease in agitated behaviors in both groups but no difference between groups |