Politician Gabrielle Giffords suffered a traumatic head injury in 2011, requiring extensive rehabilitation to walk, move, and speak again. After four years, she shared a heartwarming video of her singing with her music therapist on Facebook. Music therapy played a vital role in her recovery, showcasing its effectiveness for various types of brain damage or decline.
What is Music Therapy, and Who is It For?
Music therapy encompasses a wide range of uses, benefiting patients with acquired brain injuries, autism, mental health difficulties, and more. Singing, for instance, can help stimulate language centers in the brain and improve oxygen saturation rates, aiding in recovery from strokes or brain injuries.
NMT Helping Dementia Patients Get Active
Certified music therapist Molly Bybee utilizes neurologic music therapy (NMT) to aid dementia patients in Northeast Philadelphia. By adjusting rhythm, volume, and pitch, Bybee encourages coordinated movements during group sessions, improving attention, recall, and overall wellbeing in dementia patients.
Through thoughtful exercises and interactive music sessions, NMT techniques help dementia patients maintain mobility, cognitive function, and social engagement. This form of therapy aligns with the Alzheimer’s Society’s recommendation of exercise as a crucial component in treating dementia patients.
Watch Neurologic Music Therapy in action:
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