Principal Investigators


Särkämö Teppo

Institution


University of Helsinki

Contact information of lead PI


Country


Finland

Title of project or programme


Singing and Playing in the Recovering and Degenerating Brain: Efficacy and Neural Mechanisms of Music in Stroke, Brain Injury, and Alzheimer’s Disease

Source of funding information


Academy of Finland

Total sum awarded (Euro)


€ 138,288

Start date of award


01/09/2016

Total duration of award in years


5

Keywords


Research Abstract


Musical activities, such as singing, instrument playing and music listening, are highly enjoyable, stimulating and versatile actions for the brain. In severe neurological disorders, such as stroke, traumatic brain injury (TBI), and Alzheimer’s disease (AD), music can be very rewarding and motivating and can provide a powerful tool for cognitive, verbal, motor and emotional rehabilitation, but more evidence for its efficacy and neural mechanisms is needed. Using a unique combination of behavioural, hormonal, and neuroimaging measures in the context of 4 clinical trials involving 240 patients, the goal of the project is to determine the efficacy of instrumental music rehabilitation in TBI, everyday music listening in stroke, and choir singing in aphasia; uncover the neural basis for the rehabilitative effect of music; explore the capacity for singing and song learning in aphasia; and assess the preservation of musical emotions and memories in AD, ranging from mild to end-stage dementia.

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