Music therapy for the promotion of multidimensional well-being and quality of life in healthy aging and mild cognitive impairment: an umbrella review protocol

SUMMARY This protocol outlines an umbrella review to synthesize evidence on the effectiveness of music therapy in promoting multidimensional well-being and quality of life among healthy older adults and individuals with mild cognitive impairment. Only systematic reviews and meta-analyses will be included, assessing outcomes related to cognition, emotional well-being, behavior, social functioning, pain, sleep, and overall quality of life, using rigorous methodology based on JBI, PRIOR and AMSTAR 2. A narrative synthesis will be conducted, structured around the target populations and outcome domains. If data are sufficiently homogeneous, a "meta-meta-analysis" may be performed (Bonczar et al., 2023; Abdellatif et al., 2025). Results will be presented using summary tables and visual "traffic light" systems to indicate beneficial, neutral, or detrimental effects (Aromataris et al., 2015; Cant et al., 2022).