The Mozart Effect For Epilepsy Treatment In Children

The aim of this systematic review was to establish whether or not the Mozart Effect can lower the seizure activity in children with a history of epilepsy. An electronic literature search for “Mozart Effect,” “children,” and “epilepsy” was conducted using CINAHL Complete, Cochrane, and PubMed databases. Inclusion criteria included systematically reviewed literature all written in the English language, peer-reviewed articles, full text, abstract available, and published articles between April 1999 and September 2015. Articles written before 1999 were excluded. This search strategy identified a total of 60 articles in Science Direct and CINHAL Complete, 11 articles in PubMed, and 1 article in Cochrane. Articles not pertinent to the research topic and duplicates were removed. Nine studies were selected for analysis based on these criteria. This paper includes discussion of the limitations and strengths of each article using the Johns Hopkins nursing evidence-based practice rating scale (JHNEBP) to evaluate the level of evidence for each study and study quality. The data supports that the Mozart Effect on children with epilepsy does not cause any adverse effects. Observational studies have shown that listening to Mozart’s K.448 reduces seizure episodes in children who are not in complete control of their motor functions. The evidence is inconclusive on the Mozart Effect’s ability to reduce seizure incidence although there is strong support that epileptiform discharges are decreased with music listening. Implications Registered Nurses may consider of the Mozart Effect as an adjunct to current epilepsy treatments.