Creative Art Therapies which includes music therapy has gained neuro-scientists’ attention in recent years.
Dance, music, art, creative writing or speaking and other means of imaginative expressions are increasingly found to have therapeutic impact in the overall development of personality and behaviour norms, quite useful in the human social milieu.
They are also known for their proactive role in the treatment of several ailments, such as addictions, digestive disorders, migraine, eating and sleeping disorders etc. It is reported that creative activities can cause our brain cells to release certain neurochemicals (which includes endorphins), which are capable of reducing sensation of pain besides improving one’s ability to respond to illness.
The Relaxation Response
Endorphins and other neurochemicals that are released when we translate our images into action through drawing, writing, dancing, singing or painting put us in a deep level of concentration — the same level as in meditation. When brain waves are measured in this altered state of consciousness, it has been found that they look very similar to those produced by meditation.
In this context, it may be interesting to know what the music therapists in Berlin have to say about the musical interventions for health.
Neurologic music therapy (NMT), one of the new terms being coined in recent year’s stands for music therapy as an application of music to treat cognitive, sensory and motor dysfunction brought about by neurological disease of the central nervous system. It is based on the neuro-scientific model of perception and production of music. Clinical studies in context with quality assurance deal with the question whether music is capable of influencing behaviour beyond musical comportment, and why music therapy is employed in neurology. These studies focus on empirical research in music and medicine.
In a recent research meeting held in November 2006, the International Music Therapy Institute of Berlin (IMB) had an occasion to deal with the subject of music therapy, as applied in neurological research. The participants recognized the importance of music therapy and held that to an increasing extent, it has developed into an interesting interdisciplinary medical intervention.
Recent developments in neuro-sciences, particularly with the improvement in the otherwise complex data capture in cerebral research has recognized the role of musical inputs thereby paving way for what can be called as neurologic music therapy. This has thrown open to new avenues of a methodically systemized as well as scientifically established therapeutic intervention with music.
It was pointed out that in using music therapy within the scope of neurology, psychotherapeutic settings were to be often modified. What is more, to some extent, treatment methods are applied that cannot really be defined as psychotherapeutic, but rather reach into the domain of functional music.
In a lecture by Prof. Jane Edwards (“Research in Context -a Response to the Evidence Based Medicine (EBM)”), a survey over the EBM framework was given, which one might describe as a series of levels of evidence as available to the scientific community. EBM was thoroughly discussed and defined as a complex topic in music therapy serving as an element of objectification. It was agreed that music therapy should get more deeply involved in EBM concerns, though the speaker pleaded for openness towards the multitude of “Levels of Evidence” and for better appreciation. Her suggestion was not to consider EBM as a restriction to music therapy, but rather recognize the opportunity to build up a clearer position in international comparison and within medical contexts. The final discussion was mainly focused on the significance of therapeutic relationship, ways to deal with EBM and its influence on music therapy as well as on the essential exchange between functional therapy and psychotherapy.
In yet another lecture by Dr. Wolfgang Schmid (“Functionality and Aesthetic – a Pilot Study of Music Therapy in the Treatment of People with Multiple Sclerosis”), it was noticed that as the disease includes stigmatization and heavy primary and secondary diseases (reactive depression, continually varying self-perception etc.), a comprehensive treatment enhancing the patient’s creative abilities was necessary and hence music could fill up this void.
Bibliography Pfeffer, K. (2006) Report on a research meeting 2006 in Berlin: “Music Therapy as Applied in Neurology”. Music Therapy Today (Online 22nd December) Vol. VII (4) 939-943.
Sairam, T V. (2007) Self-Music Therapy Chennai: Nada Centre for Music Therapy
This article for published in AYURVEDA AND ALL FEBRUARY 2007 – Pages 22, 23
Edited by Geeta Shreedar, July 14, 2021