Music therapy is not a new
thing. Aesculapius, the Greek god of
medicine and healing was said to use song and music to cure mental
diseases. Plato taught that “music
is a moral law. It gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the
imagination, a charm to sadness, gaiety and life to everything.” Today, music therapy is most commonly used to
treat neurological disorderse like dementia, schizophrenia, and
depression. Recently, though, a study
found that music therapy could significantly reduce patients’ anxiety during
cataract surgery through the administration of binaural beats.
In
the study, researchers used binaural beats combined with soothing music and
nature sounds to provide a pleasant experience for patients. The audio track was similar to music one
would find in a spa. Binaural beats
consists of two tones with slightly different frequencies, each delivered to a
separate ear. This technique is thought
to stimulate alpha-frequency brain waves.
In the study, patients who received the therapy before, during, and
after cataract surgery had slower heart rates, reduced blood pressure and
overall less anxiety than patients who received regular music or listened to
usual sounds that occurred during surgery.
While
music therapy as a treatment has been around since World War II, (I find
listening to piano music while I study for exams to be quite soothing) this study
shows that music therapy can be applied beyond treatment for neurological
disorders. It provides an inexpensive
and creative way to improve patient care, especially during stressful
procedures like surgery. Perhaps it can
be extended to use during other procedures that use local anesthesia such as root
canals or hand/foot surgeries.
http://www.aao.org/newsroom/release/20121112b.cfm
http://www.aao.org/newsroom/release/20121112b.cfm
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ReplyDeleteI find this to be an extremely hot topic in that the results of many music therapy studies for dementia have proven to be very efficient for recollection. In a study performed by Yinger and Gooding they are focusing on this sort of treatment as well; however, they are taking it a step further and beginning this sort of therapy in children with disorders that are generally diagnosed in their adolescent years, such as mood/anxiety disorders and eating disorders. Perhaps music is not only an innovative therapy, but also the key to lending treatment to early diagnosis without the extreme of drugs.
ReplyDeleteReferences:
Yinger, O., & Gooding, L. (2013). Music therapy and music medicine for children and adolescents. Child And Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics Of North America, doi:10.1016/j.chc.2013.03.003
This blog is very interesting. Many people have heard of the theory that if you play Mozart for an infant, that they will have a higher IQ, more intelligent, etc. Music therapy has been used in various different environments. Here is an interesting article that shows if you play music similar to the genre you mentioned above, showed that when music was played for pregnant women when they are contracting in labor, the women who had music played had fewer responses to pain vs. woman not having music played
ReplyDeleteRefernce:
Hanser, S. B., Larson, S. C., & O'Connell, A. S. (1983). The effect of music on relaxation of expectant mothers during labor. Journal of Music Therapy.
A friend of mine recently gave me what he calls, "music-adderall." It happens to be exactly what you are talking about: binaural tones. I have found it very useful for studying! They are also very popular in the sleep world and I would be curious to know how they affect sleep patterns and dreams.
ReplyDeleteI used to have an app on my phone for binaural tones that you could set for various purposes. Like Mia mentioned, there was one for productivity, and there were plenty of other ones too. I used it to wind down before going to sleep. It sort of felt like meditation, just a constant droning that would distract me and before I knew it, I was asleep.
ReplyDeleteOn a different note, I've heard that various militaries have used ultra low frequency sounds to distress opponents without there knowledge. I think the subliminal connection between sound and emotion is incredible
Really interesting article. After looking a few things up online it seems like binaural beats are used to treat a whole host of things ranging from pain management to concentration which I find fascinating (1). I was wondering if someone could habituate to binaural beats after repeated use? Have there been any extensive studies investigating the long term affects of binaural beats, do they lose their effectiveness after a few weeks or months of repeated use or are they equally effective at all times?
ReplyDeleteHeres the citation for the prior post (1). "A Comprehensive Review of the Psychological Effects of Brainwave Entrainment", Tina L Huang, PHD, and Christine Charyton, PHD.
ReplyDelete