Effects of music-based interventions on rehabilitation outcomes after stroke: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Abstract

Objective To systematically evaluate the effects of music-based interventions on rehabilitation outcomes in patients with stroke and provide evidence for clinical practice. Methods Web of Science, PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Scopus, ProQuest, CINAHL, SinoMed (CBM), China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang Database, and Technology Journal Database (VIP) were searched from inception to April 7, 2026. Randomized controlled trials comparing music-based interventions plus conventional rehabilitation with conventional rehabilitation alone in patients with stroke were included. Literature screening, data extraction, and quality assessment were independently conducted by two reviewers. Meta-analysis was performed using Review Manager (RevMan) 5.4. Results A total of 21 randomized controlled trials involving 1,029 patients with stroke were included. Compared with conventional rehabilitation, music-based interventions significantly improved upper limb motor function [SMD = 0.58, 95% CI (0.26, 0.91), p = 0.0004], gait speed [SMD = 0.89, 95% CI (0.16, 1.62), p = 0.02], balance [SMD = 0.45, 95% CI (0.17, 0.74), p = 0.002], lower limb motor function [SMD = 0.99, 95% CI (0.59, 1.39), p < 0.001], activities of daily living [SMD = 0.88, 95% CI (0.68, 1.08), p < 0.001], and quality of life [SMD = 0.31, 95% CI (0.13, 0.49), p = 0.0009]. Conclusion Music-based interventions appear to be an effective adjunct to conventional stroke rehabilitation. They may improve motor function, gait and balance performance, activities of daily living, and quality of life in patients with stroke. Further large-scale, high-quality randomized controlled trials are warranted to confirm these findings. Systematic review registration https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/view/CRD420261419159.