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Music, heart rate variability, and symptom clusters: a comparative study

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Abstract

Purpose

This study aimed to explore the possible range of change of a single-session music intervention (SMI) on symptom clusters and neurological reactivity for women with breast cancer undergoing chemotherapy.

Methods

A parallel and randomized, controlled study with repeated measures design was used. A total of 100 women with breast cancer were randomly assigned to the SMI or a control group. The outcome measurements of symptom cluster were collected using the Multidimensional Fatigue Symptom Inventory, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and the neurological reactivity with heart rate variability at four time points: before commencement of the intervention (T0), immediately afterward (T1), 1 week later (T2), and 3 weeks after the intervention (T3).

Results

Of the 50 women in each group, 46 in the SMI and 48 in the control group completed the post-test at T3. Multivariate analysis of variance indicated that the SMI group had a medium effect in change of symptom clusters compared to the control group at T2. Moreover, after adjusting for baseline between normal and higher levels of sympathetic tone activity, significant differences existed in fatigue and depression at T2 and sleep disturbance at T3.

Conclusions

A single-session music intervention can be effectively used to reduce symptom clusters for women with breast cancer. Targeting those who have a higher level of sympathetic tone activity is recommended.

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Acknowledgements

We acknowledge the assistance from participants and the breast cancer care team of NCKUH in Taiwan.

Statement of authorship

All persons who meet authorship criteria are listed as authors. Authorship contributions: Conception and design of study (Chen and Lin), acquisition of data (Chen and Lin), analysis and interpretation of data (Chen and Lin), drafting the manuscript (Chen and Lin), revising the manuscript critically for important intellectual content (all authors), and approval of the version of the manuscript to be published (all authors).

Funding

Funding support from the Minister of Science Technology, Taiwan, R.O.C. (MOST 102-2410-H-006 -013).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Nursing and Midwifery, Griffith University, Nathan, Brisbane, Queensland, 4111, Australia

    Shu-Chuan Chen

  2. Department of Nursing, National Tainan Junior College of Nursing, Tainan, Taiwan, Republic of China

    Shu-Chuan Chen

  3. Department of Thanatology and Health Counseling, National Taipei University of Nursing and Health Science, No. 365, Ming-te Road, Peitou District, Taipei, 11219, Taiwan, Republic of China

    Ming-Lee Yeh

  4. Department of Nursing, College of Nursing, Taipei Medical University, No.250, Wu-Hsing Street, Taipei, 110, Taiwan, Republic of China

    Hsiu-Ju Chang

  5. Department of Nursing, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, No. 1, Tai-Hsueh Road, Tainan, 701, Taiwan, Republic of China

    Mei-Feng Lin

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  1. Shu-Chuan Chen
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Mei-Feng Lin.

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Informed consent was obtained by principle investigator before the commencement of the study.

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The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.

Ethical approval

The study had been approved by the Institutional Review Board of National Cheng Kung University Hospital (B-ER-102-004).

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Chen, SC., Yeh, ML., Chang, HJ. et al. Music, heart rate variability, and symptom clusters: a comparative study. Support Care Cancer 28, 351–360 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-019-04817-x

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