Science is Fun Fridays!


 We have long recognized the importance of music in our lives, throughout history and across cultures.

Dr. Oliver Sacks wrote a book about how music can move us, heal us.  People with aphasia, who struggle to speak a coherent sentence, can often still sing - people with Alzheimer's often respond to music even when they respond to little else.

Musicophilia

Researchers at Anglia Ruskin University have developed a music therapy to assess consciousness levels in children who have suffered significant brain injuries.  MuSICCA, or Music therapy Sensory Instrument for Cognition, Consciousness and Awareness, uses personalized musical stimulation and manipulation to see how the patient responds.

A music therapist observes the child's behaviors and records these observations against a set of scales, including responses to various musical stimuli, giving the therapist a picture of the patient's level of consciousness and the strengths and weaknesses of their responses.  The information is then shared with medical teams and family to better understand what they can do to support recovery.

Music engages so many parts of the brain that extend beyond just communication.  Rhythm activates the motor cortex, and regular exposure to music stimulates development of many different areas, particularly in the brain's left hemisphere.


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