What are the Cognitive Benefits of Music Therapy Interventions in Adults with Acquired Brain Injuries?

Research Proposal by Katherine McCoy

MU4013 Research Skills in Ethnomusicology and Arts Practice

University of Limerick, Irish World Academy of Music and Dance

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Introduction

There have been various new studies about the correlation between cognition and music. There have been many findings that showcase the increasing benefits of music therapy practices used in adults with acquired brain injuries, consider Hedge (2014) in Music-Based Cognitive Remediation Therapy for Patients with Traumatic Brain Injury,

“The role of music in cognitive rehabilitation is evolving, based on newer findings emerging from the fields of neuro musicology and music cognition. Research findings from these fields have contributed significantly to our understanding of music perception and cognition and its neural underpinnings" (Hedge 2014, 1).

Throughout my research, I will explore topics pertaining specifically to how music and music therapy enhance our brain's coherence and promote brain cognition in adults with traumatic and non-traumatic brain injuries. I will look into what an acquired brain injury is, how the human brain processes music, what happens to our bodies when we listen to music, what neuroplasticity is and how music promotes it, music therapy for brain damage, and how music therapy aids in cognitive rehabilitation for both traumatic and non-traumatic brain injuries.

About the Researcher

I am a student in the BA Performing Arts in Voice pathway at the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance, housed at the University of Limerick, Ireland. I have always been involved in music in one way or another growing up, and throughout my secondary education, I excelled in subjects relating to science, and the neurological field specifically has always been something that fascinates me. Having the opportunity to study arts and health and music and health, along with studying the collaboration between music and the brain is something that continues to pique my interest. 

I am someone who has seen first-hand the effects of an acquired brain injury, more specifically, a non-traumatic brain injury. The motivation and the inspiration behind my research on this topic, in particular, is my mother who suffered from three separate ectopic ischemic strokes at the age of 44 and has undergone various therapy interventions herself after long-term memory loss, changes in learning abilities, and emotional and behavioral changes, along with a loss of motor function in her left side. 

With strokes being classified as non-traumatic brain injuries, I want to understand how music therapy practices can aid in cognitive rehabilitation in individuals post-stroke and other non-traumatic classified brain injuries through extensive research; I also want to explore the effects of music therapy for cognitive rehabilitation in individuals who have traumatic brain injuries and more extreme cases of brain damage.

What is an Acquired Brain Injury?

An acquired brain injury is brain damage to an individual that is caused after birth (Mayo Clinic 2021). Acquired brain injuries can be classified into two separate categories; traumatic and non-traumatic. Non-traumatic brain injuries can range from minor concussions to various strokes, while traumatic brain injuries would be considered any sort of injury caused by blunt force trauma to the head. Multiple studies have shown the benefits of music therapy to patients with acquired brain injuries, both traumatic and non-traumatic brain injuries (Hedge 2014).

"A preliminary study examining the effect of NMT (neurologic music therapy) in cognitive rehabilitation has reported promising results in improving executive functions along with improvement in emotional adjustment and decreasing depression and anxiety following TBI (traumatic brain injury)” (Hedge 2014, 1).

How Does the Human Brain Process Music?

Music engages every part of our brain, while performing other activities only engages specific parts of our brain. Consider Warren (2008) in How Does the Brain Process Music?

“Music engages a distributed set of cortical modules that process different perceptual, cognitive, and emotional components with varying selectivity” (Warren 2008, 32).

Music is something that helps to shape the physiological organization of our brains (Warren 2008, 32). Neurology and science show that there is no single music center in the brain, so when neuroscientists study brain activity in coherence with music, every part of the brain presents as being active.

What Happens to Our Bodies When We Listen to Music?

According to Clark (2005) in Psychology of Moods, music helps our bodies and the brain to release dopamine and endorphins, as well as lowering levels of stress and anxiety throughout the body (Clark 2005).

What is Neuroplasticity?

Neuroplasticity is, essentially, the brain’s ability to form new neural connections and new networks as a response to changes made in the brain. Music helps to stimulate the brain's neuroplasticity which leads to the improvement of many of the brain's cognitive abilities. The process of stimulating neuroplasticity through music-based treatments is commonly used when treating patients with non-traumatic brain injuries.

Cognitive Rehabilitation for Acquired Brain Injuries

For individuals who have been afflicted with a traumatic brain injury, music therapy offers benefits to rehabilitate the cognitive functions like memory loss, learning abilities, communication skills, and emotional and behavioral regulation, which helps to improve depression and anxiety (Mayo Clinic 2021). Moreno (2009) in Can Music Influence Language and Cognition? states,

“Evidence has suggested that music can improve behavioral performance in several domains, including intelligence. Scientists have also discovered that music can modify the brain at both functional and structural levels” (Moreno 2009, 329).

Patients with non-traumatic brain injuries often undergo music-based interventions that help to stimulate the brain’s neuroplasticity. This leads to the improvement of many of the brain’s cognitive functions like memory retention, language processing, and learning skills.

"Neural changes can impact several domains, but one domain seems to be particularly influenced by music—language. Music and language seem to share special features that allow music to improve and shape language processing” (Moreno 2009, 329).

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References

Mayo Clinic Staff (2021) ‘Traumatic Brain Injury,’ Mayo Clinic | Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 4 February 2021, available: Traumatic brain injury - Symptoms & causes - Mayo Clinic

Koelsch, S. (2014) ‘Brain Correlates of Music-Evoked Emotions.’ Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 15, 20 February 2014, 170-180

Bennet, A., Bennet, D. (2008) ‘The human knowledge system: music and brain coherence’ VINE Journal of Knowledge and Management Systems, 38(3), 29 August 2008, 277-295

Moreno, S. (2009) ‘Can Music Influence Language and Cognition?’ Contemporary Music Review, 28(3): Exploring Music Through Neuroscience, 2 December 2009, 329-245

Warren, J. (2008) ‘How does the brain process music?’ Clinical Medicine, 8(1), 1 February 2008, 32-36

Magee, W., Clark, I., Tamplin, J., Bradt, J. (2017) ‘Music Intervention for Acquired Brain Injury,’ Cochrane Library, 20 January 2017, available: Music interventions for acquired brain injury - Magee, WL - 2017 | Cochrane Library

Hedge, S. (2014) ‘Music-Based Cognitive Remediation Therapy for Patients with Traumatic Brain Injury’ Frontiers Neurology, 5, 24 March 2014, available: Frontiers | Music-Based Cognitive Remediation Therapy for Patients with Traumatic Brain Injury (frontiersin.org)

Martínez-Molina, N., Siponkoski, S., Särkämӧ, T. (2022) ‘Cognitive efficacy and neural mechanisms of music-based neurological rehabilitation for traumatic brain injury,’ ANNALS of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1515(1), 8 June 2022, 20-32

Dykesteen Vik, B., Skeie, G., Specht, K. (2019) ‘Neuroplastic Effects in Patients with Traumatic Brain Injury After Music-Supported Therapy,’ Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 13, 25 June 2019, available: Frontiers | Neuroplastic Effects in Patients With Traumatic Brain Injury After Music-Supported Therapy (frontiersin.org)

Cattelani, R., Zettin, M., Zoccolotti, P. (2010) ‘Rehabilitation Treatments for Adults with Behavioral and Psychosocial Disorders Following Acquired Brain Injury: A Systematic Review,’ Neuropsychology Review, 20, 9 February 2012, 52-85

Snyder, H. (2019) ‘Literature review as a research methodology: An overview and guidelines,’ Journal of Business Research, 104, 1 August 2019, 333-339

Clark, A. (2005) Psychology of Moods, New York: Nova Science Publishers, Inc. 

Koelsch, S. (2012) Brain and Music, Sussex, UK: John Wiley & Sons, LTD.

Bonde, L. (2011) ‘Health Musicing - Music Therapy or Music and Health? A model, empirical examples and personal reflections,’ Music and Arts in Action, 3(2), 120-140 

Booth, W., Colomb, Gregory G., Williams, Joseph M., Bizup, J., Fitzgerald, W.T. (2016) The Craft of Research. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 9-15; 249-268