University of Edinburgh researchers suggest that listening to music while performing basic tasks may help strengthen the linked structures between brain regions that control the understanding of sounds and physical movement.
So what does this mean for physical therapy? This finding could help physical therapists create rehab programs for stroke patients or others who experience motor function problems, according to a news story published by Paste magazine.
However, using MRI scans, the researchers note that participants in the music group showed a significant increase in structural connectivity in the white matter tract that links auditory and motor regions on the right side of the brain. The non-music group showed no change, according to a media release from the University of Edinburgh. “The study suggests that music makes a key difference. We have long known that music encourages people to move,” says Dr. Katie Overy, University of Edinburgh research team leader.
The researchers’ future plans are to perform a larger study with larger numbers of participants, to examine whether music can provide an aid with specific kinds of motor rehabilitation programs, such as those with post-stroke patients.
