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Moving with music for stroke rehabilitation: a sonification feasibility study
Author(s) -
Scholz Daniel S.,
Rhode Sönke,
Großbach Michael,
Rollnik Jens,
Altenmüller Eckart
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
annals of the new york academy of sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.712
H-Index - 248
eISSN - 1749-6632
pISSN - 0077-8923
DOI - 10.1111/nyas.12691
Subject(s) - sonification , rehabilitation , stroke (engine) , melody , music therapy , physical medicine and rehabilitation , physical therapy , psychology , auditory feedback , medicine , audiology , musical , computer science , human–computer interaction , mechanical engineering , engineering , art , visual arts
Gross‐motor impairments are common after stroke, but efficacious and motivating therapies for these impairments are scarce. We present a novel musical sonification therapy especially designed to retrain gross‐motor functions. Four stroke patients were included in a clinical pre–post feasibility study and were trained with our sonification training. Patients’ upper‐extremity functions and their psychological states were assessed before and after training. The four patients were subdivided into two groups, with both groups receiving 9 days of musical sonification therapy (music group, MG) or a sham sonification training (control group, CG). The only difference between these training protocols was that, in the CG, no sound was played back. During the training the patients initially explored the acoustic effects of their arm movements, and at the end of the training the patients played simple melodies by moving their arms. The two patients in the MG improved in nearly all motor function tests after the training. They also reported in the stroke impact scale, which assesses well‐being, memory, thinking, and social participation, to be less impaired by the stroke. The two patients in the CG did benefit less from the movement training. Taken together, musical sonification may be a promising therapy for impairments after stroke.