Study	Reason for exclusion
Arroyo‐Anlló 2013	Not clear whether it was an RCT and the outcome was self‐consciousness.
Ballard 2009	RCT, no music‐based therapeutic intervention. A small proportion of the study sample (35) followed individualised music as an intervention. There was a non‐significant improvement on the total CMAI score.
Brotons 2000	Only 4 therapy sessions
Bruer 2007	RCT, cross‐over, 8 weeks, comparison of group music therapy to video presentation on cognition (MMSE score). Participants were involved in < 5 sessions.
Bugos 2005	RCT, people with dementia were excluded in this study, focus on healthy older adults (effects of individualised piano instruction on executive functioning and working memory).
Chae 2015	Not an RCT
Clair 1996	Not clear if participants were randomised; and they participated in < 5 sessions.
Cohen‐Mansfield 2010	Not an RCT, no control group included
Davidson 2011	Not an RCT, no control group included
Garland 2007	RCT, cross‐over, comparing audiotapes with simulated family presence to audiotapes with preferred music and a neutral placebo tape to reduce agitation. < 5 sessions in each group, in which participants listened to preferred music.
Gerdner 2000	The analyses covered directly observed agitation, probably over the combined sessions (so inclusive of the first 4 sessions).
Groene 1993	Control group also received music therapy
Hanser 1994	RCT, participants did not have dementia but depression
Hicks‐Moore 2008	RCT, comparison of favourite music and hand massage, < 5 sessions
Hokkanen 2008	RCT, no music therapy, study involved dance and movement therapeutic methods
Holmes 2006	RCT, comparison of live interactive music, passive prerecorded music or silence for 30 minutes in a single session. < 5 sessions.
Janata 2012	The intervention did not meet our criteria for a therapeutic‐based intervention in which contact with a therapist or facilitator is essential. The intervention created "a musical atmosphere" with music programmes streamed to the rooms of participants assigned to a music group for several hours per day.
Kwak 2016	RCT, only music listening, no music therapist or interaction.
Low 2016	The control of this study on effects of dance involved music appreciation and socialisation groups. There was little programming and therefore the control group did not qualify as music therapy.
Noice 2009	RCT, no music therapy: a theatrically based intervention was given to 122 older adults who took lessons twice a week for 4 weeks.
Otto 1999	RCT, participants did not have dementia.
Pomeroy 1993	RCT, music was part of physiotherapy.
Raglio 2008	Quasi‐randomised study.
Riegler 1980	RCT, not clear whether participants were diagnosed with dementia.
Satoh 2014	No music‐based therapeutic intervention, but physical exercise combined with music.
Sung 2006	No music‐based therapeutic intervention, but music with movement intervention.
Sánchez 2016	RCT, only music listening, no music therapist or interaction.
Särkämö 2014	No music‐based therapeutic intervention, but singing coaching for family carers and nurses, and listening to music.
Thompson 2005	RCT, single test moment, music as cue to facilitate performance on a category fluency task. No therapeutic intervention.
Van de Winckel 2004	RCT, no music‐based therapeutic intervention, but music‐based exercises.
Vanderark 1983	RCT, not clear whether participants were diagnosed with dementia.
채경숙 2015	No random allocation to music therapy or control group

CMAI: Cohen‐Mansfield Agitation Inventory; MMSE: Mini‐Mental State Examination; RCT: randomised controlled trial.