Global Research Landscapes and Emerging Trends in Music Therapy for Older Adults: A Comprehensive Bibliometric Analysis

Background Music therapy is a crucial nonpharmacological intervention in geriatric care that can improve cognitive function, emotional well-being, and adjustment during transitions to long-term care. However, several research gaps, including variability in study designs, limited evidence regarding long-term efficacy, and unclear mechanisms of action, limit such therapy’s systematic implementation. We performed bibliometric analysis to examine global research on music therapy involving older adults and identify major contributors, collaboration networks, and key themes in this area of research. Methods and findings A comprehensive search of the Scopus database was conducted to identify relevant articles published from inception through February 2026. We used bibliometric methods to analyze annual publication trends, geographic and institutional productivity, international collaboration patterns, author influence, and keyword co-occurrence. Data visualization and network mapping were performed using VOSviewer and the Bibliometrix package in R. The analysis included 5253 publications. China had the highest publication output (705), followed by the United States (675) and the United Kingdom (309). Italy had the highest level of international collaboration (multiple country publication ratio: 31.5). The University of Toronto was the most productive institution (92 publications). Coauthorship analysis identified six international collaboration clusters. Keyword analysis revealed dementia, quality of life, depression, and cognitive function to be key research themes. Conclusion Research on music therapy for older adults is a rapidly expanding and involves strong global collaboration. Our bibliometric findings identify influential countries, institutions, and research networks and indicate that current research generally focuses on demonstrating efficacy for neuropsychiatric symptoms. Future studies should place greater emphasis on understanding mechanisms of action, developing personalized interventions, and evaluating implementation strategies to support the integration of evidence-based music therapy into routine geriatric care.