Disorders of Music Cognition and Music and Health
Music activates and strengthens the neurological pathways in the brain. This shows improved well-being, cognitive function, learning, and overall happiness. A music therapist can provide music in a clinical setting to intervene to accomplish an individual patient's goal. This is the scientific application of music activities and can also be used to achieve a desired change in behavior. Music therapy is also a systematic process of intervention where the therapist helps the client promote health and relationships through musical experiences. From 1944 to 2003, music therapy evolved from the first curriculum designed for music therapists at Michigan State University to The Academy of Neurological Music Therapy being established. This academy further developed three main principles of music therapy. The use of unique rhythms to energize and create habits, the re-establishment of interpersonal relationships through music, and the promotion of self-esteem through self-actualization. Music therapy has been used as a treatment for various diseases such as Alzheimer's, autism, cerebral palsy, dyslexia, strokes, and Parkinson's. Music has also shown positive effects on premature infants. This includes lowering their heart rate, increasing oxygen saturation, reducing stress for the infant and the parents, and increasing feeding rates. Music therapy is also used to treat various psychological disorders such as schizophrenia, depression, anxiety, PTSD, and many others. Patients with schizophrenia use music therapy to improve their state of mind, social functions, and overall cognition of the world around them. According to an article from the Psychiatry Advisor, "We used noninvasive functional magnetic resonance imaging to investigate the effects of a classical music intervention in patients with schizophrenia and found that it normalized the functional connectivity of the insula" (Tori Rodriquez, MA, LPC, AHC. https://www.psychiatryadvisor.com/features/effects-of-music-on-symptoms-of-schizophrenia/). Music therapists use their trained musical skills to help their clients achieve their therapeutic goals and promote their overall health. Music has such a strong effect on health and well-being because it pulls emotional, physical, and social reactions from us human beings.
Performing arts medicine and music medicine are two of the main focuses in this week's readings. This approach is mainly used with musicians to allow them to overcome various injuries, physical or psychological. Musicians can develop vocal amusia or oral-expressive amusia. Although music injuries are still being studied, there has been an increase in musical disorders. These disorders can play a critical role in the understanding of cognitive neuroscience and how it relates to music. Performance anxiety is another stressor performers have to go through. Some key aspects of performance anxiety are external(an important audition), internal(the fear of messing up in front of others), and the biological responses of fight, flight, or freeze. We can further break down performance anxiety into three categories behavioral, physiological, and cognitive. Psychological responses can be seen as weak knees, increased heart rate, muscle tension, sweaty palms, dry mouth, etc. In an article from Psychology Today, Kristen Beesley Ph.D. discusses, "Today, performance anxiety is less stigmatized, but it continues to debilitate and demoralize many people.[...] Exemplifying flight, some performers procrastinate preparing to perform, and then say there was not enough time to get ready! Others stop performing altogether. How one approaches or avoids a threat is important to understanding and managing performance anxiety. Psychoanalysts call defensive responses to anxiety “ego defenses” because the ego (or the self) is protecting itself from the perception of a dreaded disaster" (https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/psychoanalysis-unplugged/201904/what-s-the-root-performance-anxiety). This article continues to discuss potential management techniques that can be used to reduce performance anxiety such as not expecting a perfect performance, not to self-criticize before the performance happens, and allowing natural expression to happen. After reading this post consider the following question, have you ever experienced performance anxiety? Did you overcome it? If so, how?
