How does neurologic music therapy work? Study reveals practice’s … – USA TODAY

Adults and children with cognitive disorders may have trouble walking but neurologic music therapy can be a helpful part of their treatment plan, according to growing research.

Neurologic music therapy has been shown to help retrain the brain to walk, improving the gait of those with multiple sclerosis, Parkinsons, stroke and cerebral palsy.

A recent small pilot study adds to that growing body of evidence, with preliminary findings that show the therapy could benefit those with brain injuries as well. The children, who were brain injury patients with trouble walking, showed improvements in speed, posture and steadiness.

There's something very fundamental and substantial happening in the brain when we listen to music, especially when we try to use this for improving mobility, said Michael Thaut, a University of Toronto professor of music and rehabilitation science who directs the Music and Health Science Research Center. Our natural response to music is to move.

This therapy is used in rehabilitation and physiotherapy settings and can help patients with language, speech, sensory and motor difficulties, according to the Brain Injury Association of America.

Different strategies are used for different conditions. One neurologic music therapy strategy used to help patients with walking, balance and coordination is called rhythmic auditory stimulation (RAS). This was used with the four children in the study published in the International Journal of Therapy and Rehabilitation, which included the Cambridge Institute for Music Therapy Research in the United Kingdom.

RAS uses sound to cue brain signals to take steps and keep up with a rhythm. A trained therapist uses music or a metronome to help guide a patient, often on a treadmill.

The patient walks in synchronicity to the beat with a goal to maintain the speed and rhythm "without the auditory stimulus," Thaut explained.

Its a therapy regimen that goes for days, every day, he said. That sense of regularity translates into a more regular stepping pattern.

Along with helping stroke patients regain motor abilities, neurologic music therapy has been shown to help Parkinsons Disease patients. One study by Thaut and his team showed a significant reduction in falls compared to those who didnt receive the therapy.

In people with movement disorders like Parkinson's, the rhythmic auditory stimulation strategy has "been shown to be extremely effective in adults, very rapidly," said neurorehabilitation physician Dr. Gregory O'Shanick, medical director emeritus at the Brain Injury Association. That includes those with motor difficulties such as stride length, stability and arm swing, he said.

In people with cerebral palsy, auditory stimulation has been shown to help with gait speed and posture according to a meta-analysis of 14 studies.

More research, like the small study on children, is needed on how neurologic music therapy can help those with traumatic brain injuries, Thaut said. But one meta-analysis of 10 studies found it was associated with improvements to patients gait speed and cadence.

Previous studies have also linked brain plasticity the ability of the brain to change, rewire and learn with playing a musical instrument. A new study by the Chinese Academy of Science, for example, found older participants who were musicians had better markers in age-related declines, such as in hearing and speech, than those who didnt play music.

The Academy of Neurologic Music Therapy has a directory of licensed therapists. Users can search by city, state and country.

Reach Nada Hassanein atnhassanein@usatoday.comor on Twitter@nhassanein.

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How does neurologic music therapy work? Study reveals practice's ... - USA TODAY