Abstract: ObjectiveTo explore the effect of musicotherapy on agitation behaviors in patients with aged dementia (AD).Methods22 AD patients were treated with different musicotherapies, and examined with Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Cohen-Mansfield Agitation Inventory (CMAI) and self made sociality psychological inventory before and after treatment.ResultsAfter musicotherapy, the incidence rate of agitation behaviors of AD patients decreased significantly ( P<0.001). The incidence rates of agitation behaviors among patients with low, middle and high MMSE scores were significantly different ( P<0.001). After musicotherapy, both depressions of patients' cognitive function and scores of agitation behaviors were significant different compared with that before treatment (P<0.01). Effectual rates of musicotherapy on sociality psychological emotion, communication, language and intercourse of this group patients were 86.36%, 90.91%, 72.73% and 77.27%, respectively.ConclusionMusicotherapy can effectively alleviate the symptoms of agitation behaviors in AD patients.

Key words: aged dementia, agitation behaviors, musicotherapy