Advanced Brain Technologies

By Dorothy Lockhart Lawrence, MS
Stroke is a devastating condition. Studies show it as the third leading cause of death after heart disease and cancer in the US and the UK, in England and Wales. Sadly, stroke is also a leading cause of adult disability. Stroke impacts the brain: the effects depend on the area of the brain affected and the length of time the area is without oxygen. Although the risk is highest for people over 55, according to the American Stroke Foundation, it can affect people of all ages, genders and races. A stroke can even occur prior to birth.

 Researchers have known from animal studies that a stimulating and enriched environment will enhance recovery from stroke. Specifically, an enriched sound environment in animal studies was found to enhance auditory cortical function, learning, and memory. Researchers at the University of Helsinki in Finland wanted to know if adding auditory stimulation post-stroke would also enhance recovery in humans.

Studies of how music affects the brain in the past two decades have shown that music is a powerful source of auditory stimulation. Listening to music triggers both emotional and cognitive processes in the brain. Brain imaging shows that music triggers neural activity in the frontal, temporal, parietal and sub cortical areas. These areas relate to attention, semantic and music-syntactic processing, memory, and motor functions. It is also well documented that music relieves anxiety, depression, and pain in patients. This may occur in healthy subjects as well as those with various clinical conditions.

In stroke rehabilitation, Sarkamo and colleagues cite the research of Michael Thaut and Pascal Beline who have explored using music to enhance the effectiveness of physiotherapy and speech therapy respectively. In this instance, the researchers wanted to know if simply listening to music during the first months after middle cerebral artery stroke would improve the recovery of cognitive function as well as mood. Sixty subjects were recruited. Eligible patients were assigned to a music group, a language group (listening to audio books), or a control group. All received standard medical care for stroke, both for medical care and rehabilitation.

The main finding of this study was that regular music listening, selected by the patient, during the months following a stroke can enhance cognitive recovery and prevent negative mood. After two months, those who listened to their favorite music showed greater improvement in focused attention and verbal memory than those who listened to audio books or who did not have any specific listening material. Those who listened to music were also less depressed, and to a lesser extent, experienced a less confused mood. In addition, music may affect general brain plasticity after stroke as it affects a larger neural network than listening to verbal material alone. However, further research is needed to determine these effects on brain plasticity after stroke.

The study suggests that everyday music listening may help a person cope with the changes brought about by stroke or other sudden neurological change and may also help to improve recovery and function. If you hear of a friend or loved one who has had a stroke, a thoughtful gift would be to arrange for the person to be able to listen to music as quickly as possible. If the person is unable to do this on his own, you may need to have someone assist them in listening, to put headphones on for them, or any other task they are unable to do.

Advanced Brain Technologies’ Sound Health® collection provides a range of albums that can provide high quality music, with variety ranging from relaxation to a more lively listening experience for a recovering stroke patient. Many patients have time every day between therapeutic activities and adding stimulation with music would be a valuable addition to the patient's care.

If speech and language have been impaired, The Listening Program® from Advanced Brain Technologies may help the individual regain their language abilities, depending on the extent of damage caused by the stroke. An enriched sound environment can aid in recovery from neural damage and a gift of music is a simple way to extend a helping hand.

References

American Stroke Foundation.  (2009). www.americanstroke.org

McCaffrey, R., Locsin, R.  (2002). Music listening as a nursing intervention: A symphony of practice.  Holistic Nursing Practice, 16(3), 70-77.

The Stroke Association. (2009). www.stroke.org.uk

Sarkamo, T, Tervaniemi, M, Laitinen, S., Forsblom, A., Soinila, S., Mikkonen, Ml, Autti, T., Silvennoinen, H.M., Efkkila, J., Laine, M., Peretz, I., & Hietanen, M.  (2008). Music listening enhances cognitive recovery and mood after middle cerebral artery stroke.  Brain, 131, 866-876.

Williams, G.R.  (2001). Incidence and characteristics of total stroke in the United States.  BMC Neurology.