Effects of Music Listening on Cognition and Affective State in Older Adults A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

This systematic review and meta-analysis examined whether and how music listening impacts cognition and affect in healthy older adults, specifically considering the emotional connotations of music (happy- or sad-sounding music) and its presentation modality (background or prior to the tasks). Based on the PRISMA guidelines and preregistering in PROSPERO (CRD42022366520), we searched the Scopus, PsycInfo, and Web of Science databases. Out of 2,675 articles, 27 met the inclusion criteria. The synthesized findings on cognition (23 studies) revealed an uncertain influence of music type and presentation modalities on memory outcomes. In contrast, happy-sounding music seems to support executive functioning (2 out of 4) and processing speed (1), when presented in the background, and facilitate language processes (2 out of 3), when given prior to the task. However, the high heterogeneity and inconsistency in the music type and presentation modalities, as well as in the cognitive outcomes consi...