1. Music and Preoperative Anxiety
Departments of Anesthesiology, Pediatrics, and Child Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine
Department of Internal Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine
Music and Preoperative Anxiety
By: Shu-Ming Wang, Lina Kulkarni, Jackqulin Dolev, and Zeev N. Kain

2. Purpose of the Study
The purpose of this study was to see whether or not music will reduce the effects of anxiety on a person preparing to undergo an operation.
Music is proven to change moods and treat conditions such as Parkinson’s, dementia, and pain, so is it possible to also decrease anxiety levels?

3. Null and Alt. Hypotheses
Null: Preoperative music has no effect on preoperative anxiety
Alternative: Preoperative music has an effect on preoperative anxiety

4. Key Definitions STAI - State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (anxiety score)
STAI-T - State-Trait Anxiety Inventory-Trait; defined as feeling stress and fear (a constant feeling, usually due to trauma or recurring events)
STAI-S - State-Trait Anxiety Inventory-State; defined as feeling nervousness, discomfort (happens in bursts, not experienced all of the time)
HR - Heart rate
EDA - Electrodermal activity - how the skin is able to conduct electricity
BP - Blood pressure

5. Key Definitions (continued)
Cortisol, Epinephrine, and Norepinephrine - hormones in the body that are produced by the adrenal gland
Systolic blood pressure - pressure in the blood vessels when the heart beats
Diastolic blood pressure - pressure in the blood vessels in the moments between heart beats
ASA physical status - I - a normal, healthy patient
ASA physical status - II - a patient with a mild systemic disease

6. How the Study Was Conducted
Adults that were preparing to undergo surgery were randomly chosen
Two groups: the control and the “Music” group
Group 1 (Music group) listened to 30 minutes of music
Group 2 (control) did not
Different physical reactions were measured throughout the interventions

7. Basic information about the subjects

8. Pre-intervention statistics for each subject

9. Results No significant differences in the BP or HR between the two
Group 1 patients reported to be less anxious
Patients also seemed to require less medicine for sedation if they had been exposed to the music

10. Post-intervention statistics for each subject

11. Graphs of the effect on the patients’ HR and EDA

12. Conclusions
In conclusion, although listening to music had no effect on the physical indicators of anxiety, such as EDA or HR, the patients in the Music group reported to feel less anxious for their surgery. Music does not affect the physical aspects of anxiety, but it does significantly lower the psychological effects. We have the evidence to reject the null hypothesis that preoperative music does not affect preoperative anxiety.