Music therapy against agitation and aggression in patients with Alzheimer's disease: Voix d'Or as a nursing intervention

Background. Music therapy is a safe and effective non-pharmacological intervention for the treatment of agitation and aggression in people with Alzheimer's disease. Several recommendations suggest that health workers can use music to bring physical benefits, psychological and social. The literature supports the fact that music should be included in the plans of nursing care. Methods. The review of the literature shows that the music leads to a significant reduction of agitation during and after listening in patients with Alzheimer's disease. A musical approach effectively coordinated by nurses is the best strategy of non-pharmacological treatment to be applied, even for very low costs and for the low risk of the patients. In France a new validated instrument called Voix d'Or proved to be particularly effective to fight the agitation and aggression. Voix d'Or procures welfare, increases self-esteem of the patient and facilitates the exchange and communication between patients and health workers. Results. The results of research conducted with Voix d'Or on French patients it was successful with a significant reduction of anxiety and agitation. Discussion. The music is a low cost alternative compared to traditional pharmacological management; it's easy to manage and recommended in nursing practice. Voix d'Or is an innovation in the sector of non-pharmacological interventions that use music to people with Alzheimer's disease. Future research would be desirable to disseminate and validate the system in other countries besides France.