Musicoterapia e qualidade de vida visual: estudo de revisão

Abstract

Research Question/Problem
Music therapy has demonstrated relevance in the contexts of stimulation, teaching, and rehabilitation of visually impaired individuals, contributing to functional and psychosocial development and quality of life (André et al., 2025; André et al., 2025b; Davis et al., 2008). According to the census conducted by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) in 2022, among the 198.3 million people aged two years or older in the country, 7.9 million had difficulty seeing (GOV, 2022). This information reaffirms the relevance of studies in this area. However, even with the growing increase in this population, there are still few studies of standardized protocols in this area in the national context, making an international review necessary.

Objectives
The aim of this study was to investigate research in Music Therapy related to aspects of visual quality of life.
Method
This is an integrative study, conducted between September and December 2025, with searches in five languages on the CAPES Periodicals Portal and Google Scholar. The terms "music therapy and visual quality of life" were used in Portuguese, English, Spanish, German, and Italian. Articles unrelated to the theme "music therapy and visual quality of life" were excluded. Therefore, the inclusion criterion was the text's relevance to the theme, regardless of the type of study. No publication year criterion was established.
Results
The search resulted in 31 studies on the Capes Periodicals Portal and 680 studies on Google Scholar. After reading the texts and applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 14 studies were selected.
The search for the term in Portuguese "musicoterapia e qualidade de vida visual" resulted in 501 studies, but after applying the criteria, 4 articles were included (Amorim et al., 2020; Baia et al., 2022; Loureiro, 2009; Scherer, 2012).
The English term “music therapy and visual quality of life” resulted in 100 studies, but after applying the criteria, only 2 articles were included (Dauber, 2011; Metell, 2015).
The Spanish term “musicoterapia y calidad de vida visual” resulted in 50 studies, but after applying the criteria, only 6 articles were included (López, 2021; Martín, 2016; Niño, 2023; Ramos, 2024; Rodríguez, 2016; Suárez et al., 2024).
The German term “musiktherapie und visuelle lebensqualität” resulted in 60 studies, but after applying the criteria, only 2 articles were included (Bertelmann, 2009; Eschstruth, 2004). The Italian term “musicoterapia e qualità di vita visiva” yielded no results.
In all studies, only Loureiro's (2009) research presented a Music Therapy protocol for visual quality of life (PMQVV).
Implications
The results indicate that, although the literature on Music Therapy and vision is still limited, there is consistent evidence of music therapy interventions aimed at spatial orientation, visuomotor coordination, sensory perception, and psychosocial aspects related to vision.
This study highlighted the relevance of Music Therapy in this field and supports the continuation of research aimed at creating and validating standardized instruments and protocols for care and assessment.