This video blew my mind - I've always heard that music is very powerful, especially with Alzheimer and Parkinson patients, but seeing it is very moving.
I am looking to collaborate with music therapists in my future nucleo. They have amazing training that as a music educator you only brush through in class.
This is my summary of Dr. Schlaug presentation.
- Music is a multisensory/motor experience, because it changes functional brain networks.
- Music can improve neurological impairments and disorders
- singing changes the brain - melodic intonation is being used to treat aphasia. These patients cannot string words very well, but they can do so in a singing voice.
- This is possible if there are two different system that support auditory output [how to sound]
- if there is a minor injury, the brain reassigns other parts of the brain to take over (only with small lesions)
- with a large injury, most of the brain is affected, so there are no neighbor areas the brain can reassign
- with speech therapy the other part of the brain can be trained to performs those functions (brain plasticity) here is a video on brain plasticity
- In the 70 in Boston melodic intonation therapy emerged.
- The elements used are melodic intonation (engages the right hemisphere) and tapping (engages motor system). Mapping sound to actions activates Broca's regions [language are of brain].
- After training there is more activation of the right side of the brain [frontal gyrus], and connections between temporal and frontal regions change. There is a rudimentary system on the right side of the brain that connects with the temporal lobe.
- Melodic training is not magic - we could argue that any type of intense therapy improves speech in these patients.
- Currently studies are comparing other therapies with melodic intonation with control and experimental groups.
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