Music listening for fatigue after acquired brain injury: A scoping review project with patient, carer and public involvement (PCPI) data

Fifty percent of Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) survivors experience fatigue. Symptom management in post-acute rehabilitation, where rehabilitation adherence is essential, is lacking. Research suggests that music listening interventions could help by addressing related symptoms including pain, mood and arousal. Our objective was to explore how music listening has been used for post-ABI fatigue and whether findings, together with interview data from a post-acute ward, could inform on its use for this purpose. Synthesized data included: intervention characteristics, study design and outcomes. Joanna Briggs Institute guidelines and PRISMA checklist were applied. Nine-hundred and eighty-seven abstracts and 29 full texts were screened, with thirteen papers on nine studies included. Fatigue was reported only as a secondary outcome and not defined by type. Associated outcomes included: increased self-reported stamina, vitality, arousal, sleep and relaxation, better mood and pain management, verbal memory and attention. Interview data (patients: n = 6; staff: n = 4; caregivers: n = 2) suggest the need for time allocation for music listening, help with equipment setup, and trialling to determine duration and frequency. Future studies should screen for fatigue type and symptoms and establish with participants whether music interventions might be beneficial for energizing or relaxing, and if complimentary to cited strategies including exercise or meditation.