Music and the Brain
October 15th 2007 02:22
Signature Tune
Describing a performance does little to explain what really happens when certain sounds -- vibrations in the air -- hit our ears and are transmitted to the brain. As visceral as music can be, its ethereal effects on the mind remain largely a mystery, even to neurologists.
An Alzheimer's sufferer with an amnesia so severe it erases memories every minute is able to sing songs from her past.
Otherwise "frozen" Parkinson's patients move fluidly when certain music is played.
A man with severe aphasia learns to speak again through singing.
A musician's Tourette's syndrome vanishes when he plays the piano
It is all very mysterious isn't it, and so it is.
Oliver Sacks tell us of
an orthopedic surgeon who was struck by lightning and suddenly became a composer.
It seems music can do many things for the brain which we really don't understand.
The Society for Neurosurgeons has the following to say.
Music Training and The Brain
"Advocates for music education have always sworn that piano lessons pay off. Although no one would have denied that music training makes you more well-rounded and may even help you liven up some holiday parties, the extent of its benefit was unclear. Now, an increasing amount of scientific research is indicating that the benefits of music training reach to the brain. Some studies are suggesting that it boosts brain circuitry and increases certain mental functions. Further insights into how music training affects the brain may lead to new education methods and new ways to treat brain damage"
Brain and the flute
Scientists hope to have:
A greater understanding of how the brain can remodel itself.
Interconnectivity
Fresh ways to use music to help boost learning.
New ideas on how to use music to treat brain illness.
Musical brain sensations
Music and the brain
Sounds and noises are only separated by the experience of the listener. In the domain of the mind subjectivity reigns, and yet attempts are still made to chip away at individual variation to quantify the actions of the brain. As ultimate subjective experience, music combines the cognitive elements of language, tonality, emotion and rhythm to elicit responses as variable as the individuals who are listening.
Substance of these articles was assisted by:
Really Long Link
Society for Neurosurgeons
and Wikipedia
As much of the material is scientific no attempt has been made to paraphrase, citations are directly from the text, for the most part.
The aim is to suggest to you the part that music can play in maintaining brain health.
I would really like to know if you found all of this interesting. It is not intended to be complete, merely suggestive.
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