According to a recent study, people who have had a stroke may regain the use of speech through music.
The benefits of music are numerous and the effects on the human body can be surprising: reduction of stress, better sleep, development of intellectual capacities or even fight against Alzheimer’s disease. A new study published in the journal in Euro, confirms the powerful effects that it offers to our brain, since according to American and Finnish researchers, the songs could boost the recovery of language after a stroke. “Recently, using pooled data from two randomized controlled trials, we showed that the vocal (sung) component of music is crucial for its rehabilitation effectiveness: compared to instrumental music and audiobooks, the Listening to vocal music improves speech recovery and verbal memory, especially in patients with aphasia… ”, comment the researchers.
Listening to music during the rehabilitation phases
“For the first time, we were able to demonstrate that the positive effects of vocal music are linked to the structural and functional plasticity of the language network. This broadens our understanding of the mechanisms of action of music-based neurological rehabilitation methods ”, explains researcher Aleksi Sihvonen, author of the study, in a press release.
Aphasia is the medical term for a person who has lost the ability to use or understand their language. It occurs when the brain is damaged, usually with a stroke. Recovery depends on the severity of the injury.
But music can intervene in the rehabilitation phase according to the researchers. Despite its unconventional approach “Such an activity can be organized easily, safely and efficiently, even in the early stages of rehabilitation”, emphasizes researcher Sihvonen. “Unfortunately, much of the time spent in the hospital is not stimulating. At such times, listening to music could be an additional and judicious rehabilitation measure which can have a positive effect on recovery, improving the prognosis ”, he adds.
