Burns, D. S., Azzouz, F., Sledge, R., Rutledge, C., Hincher, K., Monahan, P. O., & Cripe, L. D. (2008). Music imagery for adults with acute leukemia in protective environments: a feasibility study. Supportive Care in Cancer, 16, 507–513.

To evaluate the efficacy and feasibility of music imagery.

The intervention involved 45-minute sessions with a music therapist occurring twice weekly during a four-week hospital stay. The intervention consisted of education about how to use music imagery exercises together with the opportunity to practice music imagery techniques and experience a successful music imagery encounter. The music therapist chose music for each specific patient based on an assessment of the patient’s musical preferences, current emotional state, and energy level. After the session, the patient was provided with equipment to play CDs containing music imagery exercises, and patients were encouraged to use the CDs at least daily during their hospital stay.

• To be included in the study, patients had to 18 years or older, receiving at least three radiotherapy treatments, and able to read English.
• Patients were excluded if they had a documented psychiatric illness, cognitive impairment, or current treatment for a brain tumor or were not cognitively able to participate in the intervention or answer the self-report questionnaires. 
• Patients were admitted to the Hematology-Oncology Unit at Indiana University Hospital for the treatment of acute leukemia or high-grade non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
• Forty-nine patients were hospitalized for induction chemotherapy for acute leukemia or high-grade lymphoma (24 in standard care and 25 in standard care with music imagery).

Patients were undergoing the active treatment phase of care.

This was a randomized, controlled trial.

• Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy–Fatigue (FACIT-F) scale
• Patients also were asked to record how many exercises were used between meetings with the therapist, as well as the perceived effectiveness of the music imagery exercises; however, the authors reported that no patient recorded that information.

The intervention showed no effect on fatigue.

• The study had a small sample size.
• The intervention may have been too weak, despite the high rate of music imagery intervention completion, to produce significant benefits on fatigue outcomes.
• The intervention required referral to a music therapist.