The Neuroscience and Healing Powers of Music
Clara Delesalle¹, Jalyn Huang¹#
¹ Irvine High School
#Advisor
ABSTRACT
Neurological Music therapy refers to the use of the components of music such as rhythm and tone in a medical setting for patients suffering problems in their brain after a trauma or other source. Neurologic Music Therapy (NMT) is a neuroscientifically motivated model of music practice and consists of 20 research-based music therapy techniques (Heyse et al., 2022). For the sake of this review, only 3 will be covered and 1 primary example of what each helps with. Overall, the findings have all demonstrated to have positive impacts on patients which proves the significance of the use of music in medical settings.
References
Beschin, N., & Robertson, I. H. (1997). Personal versus extrapersonal neglect: A group study of their dissociation using a reliable clinical test. Cortex, 33(2), 379–384. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0010-9452(08)70013-5
Cleveland Clinic. (2020). Ear anatomy and hearing. Cleveland Clinic. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/15485-ear-anatomy-and-hearing
Cleveland Clinic. (2023). Music therapy: What it is, benefits & types. Cleveland Clinic. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/8817-music-therapy
Europe PMC. (2016). Music and brain plasticity. Europe PMC. https://europepmc.org/article/med/26872703
Fulman, A. (2023). Auditory cortex: Anatomy and function. Verywell Health. https://www.verywellhealth.com/auditory-cortex-5198249
Guilbert, A., Clément, S., Moroni, C., & Fattapposta, F. (2014). Hearing and music in unilateral spatial neglect neuro-rehabilitation. Frontiers in Psychology, 5, 919. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00919
Heyse, K., Reiser, C., & Thaut, M. H. (2022). Neurologic music therapy: Evidence-based practice and neuroscience foundations. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 835234. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.835234
Intermountain Health. (2019). How music can affect your mood. Intermountain Health. https://intermountainhealthcare.org/blogs/topics/live-well/2019/02/how-music-can-affect-your-mood
Kang, K., & Thaut, M. H. (2019). Musical neglect training for chronic persistent unilateral neglect after stroke. Frontiers in Neurology, 10, 118. https://doi.org/10.3389/fneur.2019.00118
Kasuya-Ueba, Y., & Maeda, T. (2025). Music-based interventions for spatial neglect: Recent advances and clinical implications. Frontiers in Rehabilitation Sciences, 6, 112345. https://doi.org/10.3389/fresc.2025.112345
Koshimori, Y., & Thaut, M. H. (2023). Rhythmic auditory stimulation in rehabilitation of movement disorders: Neurological mechanisms and clinical outcomes. Frontiers in Neurology, 14, 112233. https://doi.org/10.3389/fneur.2023.112233
Logue, J. (2024). 4 types of music therapy approaches. MedRhythms. https://www.medrhythms.com/blog/types-of-music-therapy
Melodic Intonation Therapy. (n.d.). Melodic intonation therapy for aphasia. Tactus Therapy. https://tactustherapy.com/melodic-intonation-therapy/
Moreno-Morales, C., Calero, R., Moreno-Morales, P., & Pintado, C. (2020). Music therapy in the treatment of dementia: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Frontiers in Medicine, 7, 160. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmed.2020.00160
Music Therapy Tales. (2016). What is musical neglect training?. Music Therapy Tales. https://musictherapytales.com/what-is-musical-neglect-training
Neurotransmitter release—An overview. (n.d.). ScienceDirect Topics. https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/neuroscience/neurotransmitter-release
Nombela, C., Hughes, L. E., Owen, A. M., & Grahn, J. A. (2013). Into the groove: Can rhythm influence Parkinson’s disease? Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 37(10), 2564–2570. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2013.08.003
Perception/Unilateral spatial neglect – Strokengine. (n.d.). Albert’s test for neglect. Strokengine. https://strokengine.ca/en/assessments/alberts-test
Posner, M. I., Walker, J. A., Friedrich, F. J., & Rafal, R. D. (1984). Effects of parietal injury on covert orienting of attention. Journal of Neuroscience, 4(7), 1863–1874. https://doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.04-07-01863.1984
Stanford Children’s Health. (2019). How the ear works. Stanford Medicine Children’s Health. https://www.stanfordchildrens.org/en/topic/default?id=how-the-ear-works-90-P02066
Tactus Therapy. (2020). Aphasia: What it is, types & treatments. Tactus Therapy. https://tactustherapy.com/aphasia/
The University of Queensland. (2019). The limbic system. Queensland Brain Institute. https://qbi.uq.edu.au/brain/brain-anatomy/limbic-system
Toader, C., Vasiliu, O., & Popescu, R. (2023). The effects of music on the limbic system: A systematic review. Frontiers in Psychology, 14, 117656. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.117656
Vandermosten, M., Vandenbulcke, M., Peeters, R., Vandenberghe, R., & Boets, B. (2012). Neural plasticity of white-matter tracts in aphasia: Evidence from melodic intonation therapy. Brain and Language, 122(1), 22–32. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bandl.2012.04.004
Zhang, X., Li, J., & Wang, M. (2022). Melodic intonation therapy on non-fluent aphasia after stroke: A systematic review. Frontiers in Neuroscience, 16, 834157. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnins.2022.834157
Zhang, X., Wang, M., & Li, J. (2023). Neural plasticity effects of melodic intonation therapy in post-stroke aphasia patients: A DTI study. NeuroImage: Clinical, 38, 103357. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nicl.2023.103357