The Benefits Of Music For Neurological Diseases

The benefits of music for neurological diseases are undeniable. The British neurologist Oliver Sacks notes that music can calm us down, improve our mood, excite us and help us perform better at work! Sacks also discovered throughout his career that music was very useful for patients with neurological problems.

We have all read or heard at one time that music has an astonishing effect on people suffering from Alzheimer ‘s. In the quiet worlds where memories and life itself are blurred, just listening to a song from youth can affect the patient emotionally and behaviorally. It is almost as if the brain “wakes up” after a rest period.

This helps us understand that there are areas of the brain that remain intact, despite the cognitive deterioration associated with this type of dementia. The brain preserves the regions associated with long-term musical memory.

However, music does not have only one positive effect on neurodegenerative diseases! Music therapy can cause interesting changes in patients with depression, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease and even in those who have suffered a stroke. So it is worth noting this neuro-rehabilitation method!

The benefits of music for neurological diseases

The use of music therapy in medical and neurological rehabilitation is becoming increasingly common. Studies such as the one conducted by Ralph Spintge from the Department of Pain Medicine at the University of Lüdenscheid in Germany tell us that music has a very positive effect when it comes to treating pain and motor rehabilitation.

For example, the fact that patients with Parkinson’s disease or multiple sclerosis can improve the quality of life is, without a doubt, encouraging. Specialists still do not know much about the benefits of music for neurological diseases. However, it is clear that music can not cure or reverse any condition.

What the evidence shows, as noted by Dr. Moisés León Ruiz, a member of the Spanish Society of Neurology (SEN), is “an improvement in neuronal activation, of neuroregulation, learning and neuroplasticity”. The effect is particularly remarkable in patients with Alzheimer’s or vascular dementia.

Music is essential for psychological well-being as you get older

In a study conducted by the Brain Research Unit at the University of Helsinki, Dr. Teppo Särkämö notes the benefits of music for neurological diseases such as dementia. This is where the benefits are the most encouraging, as we have already mentioned.

• Music generates sensory, motor, cognitive, and heavy emotional responses in patients with Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, or other forms of neurodegenerative disease associated with aging. It also activates the temporal areas of the brain such as the cerebellum.
• In addition, specialists have also seen improvements in people who have suffered from cerebrovascular events that cause speech problems (aphasia) in neurological rehabilitation. The patient’s greatest difficulty in expressing himself verbally is reduced.

The benefits of music for epilepsy

Among the benefits of music for neurological diseases, there is one that stands out in particular: its antiepileptic effect. In fact, some specialists have been able to see that music therapy is able to reduce up to 24% of the number of epileptic seizures that patients experience.

According to a study by Dr. Aleksi J Sihvonen at the University of Helsinki and published in the journal The Lancet , music has a remarkable effect on regulating the dopaminergic system. By that we mean that it has a relaxing effect on a neuronal level. And even if it does not stop seizures completely, it reduces them, which is very positive!

Music and its effect on depression in patients with neurological diseases

Depression is a comorbid condition in many neurological diseases, such as cerebrovascular accidents, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis and Parkinson’s. It is very common for these conditions to affect patients emotionally, which can lead to a mood disorder.

In fact, the benefits of music for neurological diseases extend to this area as well. For example, music therapy improves patients’ adherence to treatments. By this we mean that people feel happier and are more receptive to pharmacological and psychological treatments.

Studies such as those conducted by doctors Alfredo Raglio, Lapo Attardo and Guilia Gontero at the University of Pavia in Italy also examine this relationship. Music improves mood in patients with neurological conditions. Therefore, this is something we should keep in mind, especially when it comes to making a plan for patients with so many needs.

There are not many treatments that are more economical or as easy as music; music excites us and gives us a little encouragement on a daily basis !