The Neural and Cognitive Effects of Customized Music Therapy
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.58445/rars.3591Abstract
This paper examines the role of customization in music therapy for patients with neurological disorders. Music therapy has been shown to enhance cognitive function, emotional regulation, and motor control, particularly in individuals with Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and dementia. Variations in therapeutic approach, such as receptive versus interactive music therapy, engage distinct neural networks and yield differential outcomes depending on disease stage. Musical parameters, including tempo, genre, and rhythm, also modulate brain activity, influencing both cognitive and affective responses. Evidence from EEG and fMRI studies demonstrates that music therapy alters alpha and beta wave activity and strengthens neural connectivity, supporting its role in promoting neuroplasticity. These findings highlight the importance of personalized music-based interventions in optimizing therapeutic outcomes and addressing individual patient needs.
References
Ahuja, S., Gupta, R. K., Damodharan, D., Philip, M., Venkatasubramanian, G., Keshavan, M. S., & Hedge, S. (2020). Effect of music listening on P300 event-related potential in patients with schizophrenia: A pilot study. Schizophrenia Research, 216. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.schres.2019.12.026
Basaglia-Pappas, S., Laterza, M., Borg, C., Richard-Mornas, A., Favre, E., & Thomas-Antérion, C. (2013). Exploration of verbal and non-verbal semantic knowledge and autobiographical memories starting from popular songs in alzheimer's disease. International Psychogeriatrics, 25(5), 785-795. https://doi.org/10.1017/s1041610212002359
Carrière, M., Larroque, S. K., Martial, C., Bahri, M. A., Aubinet, C., Perrin, F., Laureys, S., & Heine, L. (2020). An echo of consciousness: Brain function during preferred music. Brain Connectivity, 10(7), 385-395. https://doi.org/10.1089/brain.2020.0744
Castro, M., Tillmann, B., Luauté, J., Corneyllie, A., Dailler, F., André-Obadia, N., & Perrin, F. (2015). Boosting cognition with music in patients with disorders of consciousness. Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair, 29(8), 734-742. https://doi.org/10.1177/1545968314565464
Gallego, M. G., & García, J. G. (2017). Music therapy and Alzheimer's disease: Cognitive, psychological, and behavioural effects. Neurología, 32(5). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nrleng.2015.12.001
García-Casares, N., Martín-Colom, J. E., & García-Arnés, J. A. (n.d.). Music Therapy in Parkinson's Disease. JAMDA. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jamda.2018.09.025
Harmon, L., Troester, K., Pickwick, T., & Pelosi, G. (2008). The Effects of Different Types of Music on Cognitive Abilities. WestCollections. Retrieved November 26, 2025, from https://westcollections.wcsu.edu/server/api/core/bitstreams/f870c1dd-982f-4698-9172-1ea62e43c9ab/content
Hurless, N., Mekic, A., Peña, S., Humphries, E., Gentry, H., & Nicholas, D. F. (2013). Music genre preference and tempo alter alpha and beta waves in human non-musicians. Impulse: The Premier Undergraduate Neuroscience Journal. https://assets.pubpub.org/m2h1swki/41643404198032.pdf
Kogutek, D., Ready, E., Holmes, J. D., & Grahn, J. A. (2023). Evaluating Note Frequency and Velocity During Improvised Active Music Therapy in Clients With Parkinson's Disease. Journal of Music Therapy, 60(1). https://doi.org/10.1093/jmt/thac014
Maggioni, E., Arienti, F., Minella, S., Mameli, F., Borellini, L., Nigro, M., Cogiamanian, F., Bianchi, A. M., Cerutti, S., Barbieri, S., Brambilla, P., & Ardolino, G. (2021). Effective Connectivity During Rest and Music Listening: An EEG Study on Parkinson's Disease. Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience, 13. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnagi.2021.657221
Martínez‐Molina, N., Siponkoski, S., & Särkämö, T. (2022). Cognitive efficacy and neural mechanisms of music‐based neurological rehabilitation for traumatic brain injury. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1515(1). https://doi.org/10.1111/nyas.14800
Morris, I. B., Vasudevan, E., Schedel, M., Weymouth, D., Loomis, J., Pinkhasov, T., & Muratori, L. M. (2019). Music to one's ears: Familiarity and music engagement in people with parkinson's disease. Frontiers in Neuroscience, 13. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnins.2019.00661
Raglio, A. (2015). Music therapy interventions in Parkinson's disease: the state-of-the-art. Frontiers in Neurology, 6. https://doi.org/10.3389/fneur.2015.00185
Raglio, A., Imbriani, M., Imbriani, C., Baiardi, P., Manzoni, S., Gianotti, M., Castelli, M., Vanneschi, L., Vico, F., & Manzoni, L. (2020). Machine learning techniques to predict the effectiveness of music therapy: A randomized controlled trial. Computer Methods and Programs in Biomedicine, 185. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cmpb.2019.105160
Rajakumar, K. D., & Mohan, J. (2024). A systematic review on effect of music intervention on cognitive impairment using EEG, fMRI, and cognitive assessment modalities. Results in Engineering, 22. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rineng.2024.102224
Rose, D., Delevoye-Turrell, Y., Ott, L., Annett, L. E., & Lovatt, P. J. (2019). Music and Metronomes Differentially Impact Motor Timing in People with and without Parkinson's Disease: Effects of Slow, Medium, and Fast Tempi on Entrainment and Synchronization Performances in Finger Tapping, Toe Tapping, and Stepping on the Spot Tasks. Parkinson's Disease. https://doi.org/10.1155/2019/6530838
Slattery, C. F., Agustus, J. L., Paterson, R. W., McCallion, O., Foulkes, A. J., Macpherson, K., Carton, A. M., Harding, E., Golden, H. L., Jaisin, K., Mummery, C. J., Schott, J. M., & Warren, J. D. (2019). The functional neuroanatomy of musical memory in alzheimer's disease. Cortex, 115, 357-370. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cortex.2019.02.003
Smith, T. M., & Wang, W. (2021). Comparison of a standard computer-assisted cognitive training program to a music enhanced program: A mixed methods study. Cancer Reports, 4(2). https://doi.org/10.1002/cnr2.1325
Stefani, M. D. (2016). Effects of Music Therapy on Drug Therapy of Adult Psychiatric Outpatients: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Study. Frontiers in Psychology, 7. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2016.01518
Downloads
Posted
Categories
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Tracie Liu
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
