Social Impacts

One of the premier impacts that this science has had is on medicine.

A common treatment for neurological disorders is music therapy. It has been observed that making music engages a multitude of areas of the brain. Children who practice music for 15 months show more complex connections between brain regions and auditory and motor systems compared to those who don't play instruments. (1)

Music therapy has been in use for over 200 years. Researchers with the NIH studied the effects that music can have as a therapeutic remedy in 2005. Their results concluded that music effectively alleviated the pain associated with chronic pain, migraines in children, and chronic tinnitus. (4)

Another NIH study done in 2014 concluded that music therapy improves the functionality of patients with autism spectrum disorder. The music therapy specifically showed improvements with social interaction, verbal communication, initiating behavior, and social-emotional reciprocity. It can also help with non-verbal communication skills. (5)

Music therapy is being used in clinical settings as a legitimate treatment for pain, ADHD, and autism spectrum disorder.

#social #medicine #TEDTalks