In part 4, you will hear part of a lecture for medical students about using music to support hospital patients having surgery.
First, you have some time to look at questions 31-40.
Now listen carefully and answer questions 31-40.
Today I'm going to discuss research into the use of music therapy for people who have an operation.
Most of us will need some form of surgery during our lifetime.
In the United States alone, over 51 million procedures are carried out each year.
Recovery, however, is uncomfortable for a great many patients.
Moving around may be difficult, and even raising themselves into a sitting position can seem exhausting.
Their usual routine can be disrupted as well.
They may be unable to do ordinary activities, for instance, or may have to spend a substantial amount of time attending physiotherapy sessions as part of their recovery.
At present, post-operative care is largely centered on medication for pain control.
Depending on how extensive the procedure was, this may be provided for a short period or for considerably longer.
Yet music has not become a routine element of care after surgery, even though many studies indicate that it may aid recovery.
Earlier this year, a team decided to bring together all the evidence available and show what music might contribute to surgical recovery.
They found close to 100 trials, covering about 7,000 patients who had recorded music, included in their care after an operation.
The team then examined the outcomes.
Patients who heard music said they felt happier and more content during recovery.
They also left hospitals sooner than comparable patients who received no music.
Musical preferences differed widely across the group, so no single style dominated.
What the selection shared was a calming effect.
Some people used headphones.
The sound was kept low enough for them to talk to nurses and other hospital staff.
More commonly, however, the music came through specially designed pillows.
These allow only the person resting on them to hear the audio.
The music was tested at different stages before the operation while it was taking place afterwards or across more than one of these periods.
Some patients listened once each day, whereas others had several listening sessions.
When patients described how they had felt, they reported either no anxiety at all or only a small amount.
By contrast, those who had not been given music expressed greater dissatisfaction.
The researchers checked these personal reports against the patient's medical records.
In every comparison, the music group needed less medication for pain than the group that did not listen.
Neither the musical style nor the patient's choice made a substantial difference, and the timing before, during, or after the procedure was not especially important either.
Music was beneficial even under a general anesthetic, although the effect was stronger when patients were awake.
So the overall effect is positive, but the exact reason is still uncertain.
In everyday life, people often use music to relax or take their minds off difficulties.
The research team concluded that, for surgical patients, its main value came from distraction.
It offered something familiar and gave patients a small area of control.
The researchers now believe the evidence is strong enough for music to be offered to everyone undergoing surgery.
Patients should be free to select what they hear.
If they do not want music, recordings made in nature can be equally effective.
Individual surgical teams may decide that patients should listen before the operation or immediately after returning to the ward.
There are still questions to answer.
The team's next study will determine the most suitable volume for the music, and I'm looking forward to seeing the findings.
It will be interesting to discover whether…
That is the end of part four.
You now have one minute to check your answers to part four.
