How does music therapy work?

AUGUST, 2019

Industry News
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Music therapy works, but no one is really sure how. Now, a novel type of brain scan may provide key insight.

Music is a powerful thing. In fact, it forms the basis of a type of therapy, the aptly named “music therapy.”

During sessions, a music therapist attempts to form a bond with their client in order to enhance well-being and improve confidence, communication skills, awareness, and attention. Trials have found benefits to music therapy, but how it works remains unclear. 

In the current study, the researchers used hyperscanning — a procedure that can simultaneously record two people’s brain activities — to study a music therapist’s session with a client.

Surprisingly, they came up with an image that illustrates a moment of change inside the brain. When the client’s brain switched from negative emotions to positive ones, their EEG recording clearly showcased this. A few moments later, the therapist’s brain showed the exact same pattern.

It is unlikely that other case studies will provide the exact same results, due to the personalized nature of therapy. But more research will need to go into therapist-client relationships before the synchronicity can be confirmed.

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