Listening to music improves stroke patients’ recovery
19 February 2008Listening to music in the early stages after a stroke can improve patients’ recovery, according to new research published online in the medical journal Brain. Researchers from Finland found that if stroke patients listened to music for a couple of hours a day, their verbal memory and focused attention recovered better and they had a more positive mood than patients who did not listen to anything or who listened to audio books. This is the first time such an effect has been shown in humans and the researchers believe it has important implications for clinical practice.
From the paper Music listening enhances cognitive recovery and mood after middle cerebralartery strokeTeppo Sarkamo, Mari Tervaniemi, Sari Laitinen, Anita Forsblom, Seppo Soinila, Mikko Mikkonen, Taina Autti, Heli M. Silvennoinen, Jaakko Erkkila, Matti Laine, Isabelle Peretz and Marja Hietanen
Published in Brain, Advanced Access, 20th February 2008
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BBC Online - Music 'can aid stroke recovery'
