Neurology
Music Therapy promotes expression of feelings, awareness and responsiveness, memory enhancement, and socialisation…
Music Therapy has been used in rehabilitation settings to stimulate brain functions involved in cognition, emotions, speech, sensory perception and movement
Music Therapy works with many forms of Neurology including:
Acquired Brain Injury (including stroke and Tumours), Traumatic Brain Injury, Parkinsons Diease, Huntingtons Diease, etc.
Research has shown that Music therapy can promote the well being of clients in many areas including: stress management, alleviation of pain, emotional expression, memory enhancement, improvements in communication (speech therapy) and promoting physical rehabilitation.
Literature on Music Therapy and Neurological Rehabilitation:
A range of empirical studies demonstrate the effectiveness of music therapy as a treatment modality in brain injury rehabilitation. In particular, it has been shown to improve expressive communication in cases of neuro-communication disorders (Baker, 2000; Cohen, 1988, 1992; Cohen & Masse, 1993; Pilon, McIntosh, & Thaut, 1998). Functional gains have been demonstrated through applying music therapy within gait retraining programmes following stroke and traumatic brain injury (TBI) (Hurt, Rice, McIntosh, & Thaut, 1998; McIntosh, Thaut, Rice, & Prassas, 1993, 1995; Prassas, Thaut, McIntosh, & Rice, 1997; Thaut & McIntosh, 1992; Thaut, Hurt, McIntosh, 1997; Thaut, McIntosh, Prassas, & Rice, 1993; Thaut, Rice, & McIntosh, 1997; Thaut, Rice, McIntosh, & Prassas, 1993; Thaut, McIntosh, & Rice, 1997; Thaut, McIntosh, Rice, & Miller, 1995). Music therapy with people with posttraumatic amnesia following TBI was found to significantly reduce agitation and enhance orientation (Baker, 2001). In neurological patients it is an effective treatment for improving self-esteem (Purdie, Hamilton, & Baldwin, 1997), mood states (Magee & Davidson, 2002), and, when included in neuro-rehabilitation programmes, has been shown to improve social interaction skills and increase patients’ participation in other therapies (Nayak, Wheeler, Shiflett, & Agnostinelli, 2000).
Music therapy has the capacity to enhance relaxation, provide distraction, and also to reduce the individual’s physical and emotional pain (Bradt et al., 2007). Knox and Jutai (1996) found that music listening activities can lead to better outcomes in rehabilitation due to the activation of specific neural pathways. They observed that music seemed to engage the most important and complex neural systems for human attention and memory thus improving the clients susceptibility to rehabilitation.
Music Therapy is ideal for this population as it:
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Offers a safe space for emotional expression
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Is a very enjoyable, motivating stimulus
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Develops the persons self-understanding and self-confidence
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A creative way to achieve therapeutic outcomes
Techniques Used by the Music Therapist:
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Pre-composed Music
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Improvised music (on percussion and tuned instruments)
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Music listening
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Singing
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Composing
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Lyric analysis
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Music relaxation
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Movement to music
Music Therapy Goals:
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Developing emotional expression
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Reducing stress and anxiety
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Improving social/interpersonal skills
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Enhancing learning, memory and emotional response through imitation and the repetitive structure of familiar songs
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Enhancing speech through vocalisations, the use of images, picture simbols or words, songs with repetitive elements
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Reducing aggressive behaviour
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Improving family interactions and support
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Sustaining and developing attention
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Enhancing the persons self esteem through the development of his/her creativity (creative song writing, improvisation and intentional choice making)
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Improving functional skills (e.g. hand usage, eye contact, cause and effect relation)Improving family interactions and support
