Anyone with a taste for music will testify to its therapeutic qualities - but scientists are discovering that a person’s album collection may have even greater healing potential than first thought.
Researchers around the world are trying to uncover the scientific basis for why music has such a beneficial effect on a number of serious conditions. As reported in the LA Times recently, many neuroscientists are concentrating their efforts on learning how music can help rewire a brain after injury or during illness.
"Music might provide an alternative entry point" to the brain, because it can unlock so many different doors into an injured or ill brain, according to Dr. Gottfried Schlaug, a Harvard University neurologist, in an interview with the LA Times.
He adds: "In a sense, we're using musical tools to particularly engage certain parts of the brain and then teach the brain new tricks — new tools — to overcome an impairment.”
As the newspaper resport says, neuroscientists are currently investigating why Gregorian chanting helps stroke victims improve their speech, while people suffering from Parkinson’s disease can boost their coordination by focusing on musical rhythms. Many are also researching why music enables people with dyslexia and low attention spans to improve their concentration and reading skills, and also why it helps Alzheimer sufferers unlock memories.
Apart from helping traumatised and damaged areas of the brain, music is showing signs of stimulating development, particularly in premature babies. A recent study in Israel found that playing Mozart to the infants helped them gain weight. Doctors saw that the calming effect of the music reduced the babies’ heart rates, slowing their metabolisms and helping them to grow.