Music Therapy News and Research

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"Music Therapy" means the specialized professional, therapeutic use of music in the service to individuals with needs in mental health, physical health, habilitation, rehabilitation, special education, self-care or personal growth.

Engaging in musical activities can improve social communication skills of autistic children

Engaging in musical activities such as singing and playing instruments in one-on-one therapy can improve autistic children's social communication skills, improve their family's quality of life, as well as increase brain connectivity in key networks, according to researchers at Université de Montréal and McGill University.

5 Nov 2018

Listening to yoga music before sleep has beneficial impact on heart rate variability

Listening to yoga music at bedtime is good for the heart, according to research presented today at ESC Congress 2018.

27 Aug 2018

Music therapy shows promise for improving lives of people with sickle cell disease

A new study published in the Journal of Music Therapy reveals promising findings for the application of improvisational music therapy in assuaging the multidimensional acute pain of adult patients with sickle cell disease.

14 Jun 2018

Listening to music enhances effect of anti-hypertensive drugs

In addition to remembering to take the medication prescribed by their cardiologists at the right times and going to the trouble of making healthy lifestyle changes, patients with high blood pressure (hypertension) can include a pleasing beneficial activity in routine treatment of the disease thanks to the discovery that listening to music significantly enhances the effect of anti-hypertensive drugs.

16 Apr 2018

Music therapy helps treat combat-related psychological injuries in military personnel

A new paper published in Music Therapy Perspectives examines the importance of music therapy in military healthcare.

20 Mar 2018

Baycrest study could pave way to affordable, easy-to-use treatment for MCI patients

Baycrest will embark on the first study combining music therapy with brain stimulation to improve memory among patients with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI).

18 Sep 2017

Music therapy does not improve autism symptoms in children, say researchers

Music therapy may not be of any significant benefit to children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), according to a study published in JAMA.

9 Aug 2017

Music therapy helps strengthen muscle activity in people with Parkinson's disease

Elizabeth Stegemöller arranged a circle of metal folding chairs around a piano as clients started arriving for a weekly music therapy class for people with Parkinson's disease.

2 Aug 2017

New book offers guidance on how to deliver systematic approaches in forensic music therapy

‘The Clinician's Guide to Forensic Music Therapy’ by Dr Stella Compton Dickinson and Dr Laurien Hakvoort, is the first book to offer clear, evidence-based manuals for forensic music therapists in the treatment and recovery of men and women in secure hospitals and prisons.

29 Apr 2017

New findings support use of integrative therapies for treating breast cancer patients

In newly updated clinical guidelines from the Society for Integrative Oncology, researchers at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health and the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center with an interdisciplinary team of colleagues at MD Anderson Cancer Center, University of Michigan, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, and other institutions in the U.S. and Canada, analyzed which integrative treatments are most effective and safe for patients with breast cancer.

24 Apr 2017

Favorite music has greatest impact on brain connectivity

It doesn't matter if it's Bach, the Beatles, Brad Paisley or Bruno Mars. Your favorite music likely triggers a similar type of activity in your brain as other people's favorites do in theirs.

12 Apr 2017

Music therapy decreases pain in patients recovering from spine surgery

Music therapy has been found to decrease pain in patients recovering from spine surgery, compared to a control group of patients who received standard postoperative care alone.

29 Mar 2017

Research provides insight into how infants and mothers bond through songs

As one of the first records of human music, infant-directed singing permeates cultural boundaries and parenting traditions. Unlike other forms of caregiving, the act of mothers singing to infants is a universal behavior that seemingly withstands the test of time.

17 Feb 2017

Study suggests use of tablet devices as safe, effective way to control agitation among dementia patients

A new pilot study led by McLean Hospital's Ipsit Vahia, MD, medical director of Geriatric Psychiatry Outpatient Services at McLean Hospital, suggests that the use of tablet computers is both a safe and a potentially effective approach to managing agitation among patients with dementia.

9 Jan 2017

Musica Humana: Innovative program highlights inspiring role of music in human thought and memory

According to renowned neurologist Oliver Sacks, "music can move us to the heights or depths of emotion, but the power of music goes much further."

9 Dec 2016

Researcher to examine if music intervention can alleviate distress in young cancer patients and parents

An Indiana University School of Nursing researcher has been awarded $1.4 million to determine if a music therapy intervention can be used to manage acute distress in young cancer patients ages 3 to 8 and their parents.

22 Nov 2016

Experts to examine impact of live music on health and morbidity in children with learning disabilities

Experts in the fields of music, education, neurology, psychiatry and psychology will gather at a conference at the Royal Society of Medicine in London on Monday 28 November to examine the current evidence for the value and impact of music interventions, especially live music, on health and morbidity in children with learning disabilities.

15 Nov 2016

New paper provides insights into impact of music therapy on anxiety of surgical patients

A new paper published in the September 2016 issue of the AORN Journal provides insights into the impact of implementing a music therapy program for surgical patients.

13 Sep 2016

Music interventions help improve quality of life in cancer patients

We've all heard of laughter being the best medicine, but what about music? A systematic review published by the Cochrane Library found that there is significant evidence that music interventions help alleviate symptoms of anxiety, pain and fatigue in cancer patients, while also boosting their quality of life.

17 Aug 2016

Second annual USC VR Hackathon for international coders, designers focuses on Medical Empathy Machine

Kicking off its second annual virtual reality (VR) Hackathon, the University of Southern California Center for Body Computing announced this year's focus of the competition is "Medical Empathy Machine," showcasing the potential of VR to change medicine and patient experience through emotion, compassion and empathy.

30 Jul 2016