Neurologic music therapy is an evidence-based application of music as therapy by a licensed specialist to treat various impairments in cognitive performance, sensorimotor, and speech/language issues. A recent study published in the journal Neurorehabilitation reported the outcomes of a randomized controlled trial conducted to analyze the effect of therapeutic instrumental music performance (TIMP) with and without motor imagery on the cognitive performance in chronic post-stroke individuals. The mental flexibility component of executive functioning improved by TIMP combined with motor imagery, most likely due to multi-sensory processing of representations through motor imagery training after active practice.
Active training of musical instrument tends to have a significant effect on the response rate. These transitions, however, arose independently of cognitive improvements. The effect…
