Search Results (5)

Background: Music therapy and music-based interventions are increasingly recognized as valuable adjuncts in pediatric neurorehabilitation, leveraging rhythm, singing, instrument playing, and improvisation to support children with neurological disabilities. Objective/Method: This narrative review synthesizes evidence from studies published between 2000 and 2025, focusing on children aged 3 to 18 years receiving neurorehabilitation. Results: The literature demonstrates that music therapy and music-based interventions can improve motor function—particularly gait and upper limb coordination—as well as speech production, while also reducing anxiety and enhancing participation. Techniques such as rhythmic auditory stimulation and melodic intonation therapy have shown promise in targeting movement and communication deficits. Music therapy is further associated with positive effects on vital signs and emotional well-being, supporting its role in holistic care. Neurobiological findings suggest that music-based interventions may promote neuroplasticity and strengthen brain connectivity, though high-quality mechanistic studies remain limited. Conclusions: Despite methodological heterogeneity and small sample sizes in the current literature, the overall evidence supports music therapy and music-based interventions as accessible, cost-effective, and child-centered complements to standard neurorehabilitation. Future research should prioritize rigorous clinical trials and neurobiological investigations to clarify mechanisms and optimize therapeutic protocols. Full article

Background and Objectives: Post-stroke aphasia (PSA) severely limits communication and quality of life. This case study explores the impact of an integrated Neurologic Music Therapy (NMT) approach, combining Melodic Intonation Therapy (MIT) and Therapeutic Singing (TS), on language recovery and brain reorganization in a 59-year-old woman with non-fluent motor aphasia following an ischemic stroke. Methods: Over 8 weeks, the patient underwent 24 sessions of MIT alongside standard speech therapy. Language abilities were assessed using the Western Aphasia Battery-Revised, while fMRI scans captured neurophysiological changes pre- and post-intervention. Results: The results showed significant language improvements: spontaneous speech increased by 68.9%, auditory comprehension by 30.8%, and naming by 83.3%. The Aphasia Quotient rose from 39.3 to 61.4, marking a shift from severe to moderate aphasia. Neuroimaging revealed heightened activation in both hemispheres, especially in the superior frontal and parietal regions, supplementary motor area, and superior temporal gyrus. Increased engagement of the limbic system, particularly the paracingulate gyrus, pointed to emotional involvement and widespread cortical reorganization. Conclusions: These findings highlight the effectiveness of integrating MIT and TS with emotionally meaningful music, supporting language recovery and neural plasticity in PSA. Full article

Melodic Intonation Therapy (MIT) is one of the most well-known therapies for the rehabilitation of speech in patients with non-fluent aphasia and which is thought to promote right-hemisphere involvement in language processing. This review focuses on the study of language lateralization and/or neuroplastic reorganization with neuroimaging and/or neurophysiological techniques in non-fluent aphasic patients post-stroke during or after MIT. A systematic search was carried out according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) in databases (PubMed, Scopus, EMBASE, Dialnet, Web of Science, Cochrane) with the keywords melodic intonation therapy, neuroimaging, functional magnetic resonance, and positron emission tomography and the boolean operators AND and OR. Articles including patients of all ages and either sex with any type of aphasia post-stroke and in any language, which studied language lateralization and/or neuroplastic reorganization after or during MIT were included. Articles which did not achieve the objectives, revisions and conferences were excluded. Different results were obtained from the 16 studies included in the review: predominantly greater activation of the right hemisphere but also of the left hemisphere or both. MIT is an effective therapy to rehabilitate non-fluent aphasic patients post-stroke. It involves different neurobiological mechanisms and depends on multiple individual factors. Studies with larger samples are necessary. Full article

Therapeutic applications of singing (e.g., melodic intonation therapy) for acquired neurogenic communication disorders (ANCD) such as post-stroke aphasia, dysarthria, or neurodegenerative diseases have emerged from innovations by clinical speech-language pathologists (SLPs). However, these specialists have never been systematically consulted about the use of singing in their practices. We report a survey of 395 SLPs in France using an online questionnaire (September 2018–January 2019). Most (98%) knew that singing could be a therapeutic tool. A wide variety of uses emerged in our data. Some practices (e.g., song games) have not yet been investigated in research settings. Melodic therapy, which is supported by scientific evidence, is familiar to clinicians (90%), but they lack training and rarely follow a full protocol. Over half of respondents (62%) recognize group singing for various benefits, but do not often use it, mainly due to the lack of adapted or welcoming choirs in their area. These results provide key information for continued dialogue between researchers, clinicians, and the community. Considering the aging population and the associated increase in the prevalence of ANCD, access to group singing in particular could be facilitated for these patients from a social prescription perspective with further research evidence. Full article

Aphasia is one of the most common clinical features of functional impairment after a stroke. Approximately 21–40% of stroke patients sustain permanent aphasia, which progressively worsens one’s quality of life and rehabilitation outcomes. Post-stroke aphasia treatment strategies include speech language therapies, cognitive neurorehabilitation, telerehabilitation, computer-based management, experimental pharmacotherapy, and physical medicine. This review focuses on current evidence of the effectiveness of impairment-based aphasia therapies and communication-based therapies (as well as the timing and optimal treatment intensities for these interventions). Moreover, we present specific interventions, such as constraint-induced aphasia therapy (CIAT) and melodic intonation therapy (MIT). Accumulated data suggest that using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is safe and can be used to modulate cortical excitability. Therefore, we review clinical studies that present TMS and tDCS as (possible) promising therapies in speech and language recovery, stimulating neuroplasticity. Several drugs have been used in aphasia pharmacotherapy, but evidence from clinical studies suggest that only nootropic agents, donepezil and memantine, may improve the prognosis of aphasia. This article is an overview on the current state of knowledge related to post-stroke aphasia pharmacology, rehabilitation, and future trends. Full article