My Green Meadows

Many Benefits Of Music

Musical Medicine – Recovery After a MCA Stroke

Listening
to music activates a network of brain regions associated with memory,
motor functioning and emotional processing. Certain tunes can spark an
individual to recall the lyrics of a song, even if they have not heard
the song for several years. A certain song can help to recall a certain
memory o time in your life in vivid detail. Music is found to enhance
emotional and cognitive functioning, decrease the perception of pain
and increase endurance during athletic endeavors. Music makes virtually
everything more pleasurable from sitting in the dentist’s chair to
waiting in line at the grocery store.

The amazing functions of listening to music have been expanded to
determine if daily music exposure can aid in the recovery of traumatic
brain injury, specifically after a stroke. The effects of music upon
cognitive functions and mood have been studied among patients who had a
specific type of stroke affecting the middle cerebral artery (MCA).

Patients
affected by a MCA stroke were randomly exposed to music, audio books,
or did not receive auditory treatment (control group). All three groups
received consistent standard medical treatment and rehabilitation; the
only differing variable in their treatment was the type of audio
therapy they were exposed to.

At 3 month and 6 month intervals post stroke, the patients were
evaluated via cognitive assessment. The results of the assessment
showed that the individuals who listened to music demonstrated an
obvious increase in verbal skills, memory and focused attention when
compared to the audio book and control group. The patients who listened
to music also showed a decrease in depression and confused mood.

The findings show that exposure to music after a MCA type stroke can
help in the recovery of brain processes and increase the quality of
life for the sufferers. It is amazing that something as simple as
listening to music can make such a large difference in the recovery of
severe brain trauma.

Music can drastically improve the overall cognitive functioning and
mood and seems like a simple yet extremely effective way of improving
an individual’s quality of life and can amazingly repair brain
performance after a devastating brain injury. Perhaps musical therapy
can be utilized for future treatment of specific brain trauma, such as
MCA-type strokes, and can be researched even further to expose other
possible benefits.

Reference

T.
Sarkamo, M. Tervaniemi, S. Laitinen, A. Forsblom, S. Soinila, M.
Mikkonen, T. Autti, H. M. Silvennoinen, J. Erkkila, M. Laine, I.
Peretz, M. Hietanen (2008). Music listening enhances cognitive recovery
and mood after middle cerebral artery stroke Brain, 131 (3), 866-876 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awn013

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Related Articles at Brain Blogger:

• Stroke Recovery Improves with Music
• Interview with Carol, a Stroke Survivor
• Blind, Retarded, Autistic, Genius!
• In a Stroke Patient, Doctor Sees Power of Brain to Recover
• Mirror, Mirror on the Wall – Stroke Rehabilitation