melodic and percussive instruments, gestures, body movement, and facial expressions.
In neuroscience, the measurement methods typically require that the participant lies or sits
still, and do not permit studies of active interplay and body movement. Thus, until robust portable
measurement devices are developed, neuroscientific studies of music therapy improvisations are not
probable.
A few studies in the conference proceedings are related to movement and bodily expression.
One paper reports a study of facial expression recognition in dementia patients (NM III no. 49). An-
other paper reports a study of movement to dance music, based on video recording (NM III no. 73).
MT 4 and MT 11
Gold’s and Nygaard Pedersen’s reports of aggressive sounds and chaos may have traits in common
with the study of response to an emotionally charged complex vocal sound (NM III no. 30).
MT 7
Garred’s study of a girl suffering from autism can be related to studies of musical experience in au-
tism (NM II no. 33, NM III no. 45, 46, and 47).
Apart from the question of movement or non-movement, a difference between neuroscience and
music therapy is apparent. In neuroscience, music is typically regarded as a socially shared system,
based on rules and expectations defined by convention and culture. In music therapy, individual
expression and action can shape musical improvisation independently of convention and culture.
According to a definition proposed by Darnley-Smith and Patey (2003:40), musical improvisations
can consist of ”any combination of sounds and silence spontaneously created within a framework of
begining and ending.” The following fields of research in neuroscience can be suggested:
- Studies of responses to syncopation and cross-rhythms^36
- Studies of gliding and moving tones compared with fixed and static tones^37
- Studies of percussive sound
- Studies of music that combines noise and tone as means of musical expression.^38
3.5.4 Music therapy in rehabilitation
An increasing number of studies report the effect of music therapy and music-supported therapy
in rehabilitation. Altenmüller et al. (NM III no. 58, pp. 395-405) have demonstrated the effects of
music-supported therapy in patients with motor impairments after stroke. Schlaug et al (NM III no.
57, pp. 374-384) have documented that long-term melodic intonation therapy produces changes in
the brain connections of patients suffering from aphasia after a left-hemisphere stroke. Findings by
Särkämö (2011) encourage the use of listening to music as a rehabilitative activity in stroke patients.
Leins, Spintge & Thaut (2009:526-529) and Hurt-Thaut (2009:508-513) have reviewed the effects of
music therapy in neurological rehabilitation. Recently, a study by Daniels Beck (2012) has indicated
that Guided Music and Imagery Therapy is an effective short-term treatment for adults suffering from
work-related chronic stress. Rehabilitation is a growing field of research that integrates the achieve-
ments of music therapy and neuroscience.
36 Vuust et al. (2005) have studied responses to incongruent rhythms in jazz musicians.
37 Griffiths et al. (1994, 1998) report studies of the perception of sound movement.
38 e.g. the sound of the Japanese Shakuhachi flute, which encompasses noise as well as tone.