Neurological disorders
People living with a neurological disorder commonly experience paralysis, muscle weakness, poor coordination, loss of sensation, seizures, confusion and pain. People living with long-term chronic neurological disability may experience social isolation, traumatic life changes and communication impairment in addition to their physical disability.
The most common causes include:
- stroke (450,000 people in the UK today are severely disabled as a result of a stroke)
- traumatic brain injury from traffic accidents and other causes (120,000 people in the UK today live with severe brain damage cause by injury)
- progressive illnesses such as Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease and multiple sclerosis
- seizure disorders such as epilepsy
- dementia (referred to in detail under a href="/content/what-we-do/who-can-music-help/dementia-and-difficulties-elderly"Dementia and difficulties for the elderly)
- infections and tumours
Music can help in the immediate aftermath of an injury (during rehabilitation) or in the long term management of a permanent disability.
Potential benefits for patients in rehabilitation
- improves muscular control
- improves fine motor co-ordination
- increases sensory responsiveness
- improves cognitive function
- stimulates memory recall
- improves spatial orientation
- improves communication skills
- develops emotional expression
- provides emotional support
Potential benefits for people with long-term neurological disorders
In addition to all of the above:
- Helps regain use of parts of the body lost through neurological neglect or weakness
- Develops new communicative strategies through vocal work
- Provides social situations in which people can be active
- Maintains relationships with families and friends and builds new social ties in a situation where they are on a level field with others
- Helps adjustment to the condition by bringing the focus on to what they can do rather than what they have lost
- Provides opportunity to experience themselves in a new way
- Provides a setting in which skills and abilities can be maintained
- Promotes health through maximising potential
Look up the Research evidence for using music therapy to help people with neurological disorders.
