Music/Music Therapy

The focus of this article is how music/music therapy can lead to improved brain function in patients who are in a vegetative state or a minimally conscious state. According to the article, vegetative state is defined as “a state in which patients exhibit a lack of awareness of external stimuli, but with preservation of sleep–wake cycles and vital vegetative functions (such as cardiac action, respiration and maintenance of blood pressure) while remaining completely unaware of both self and environment”(Okumura et al). It also defines a minimally conscious state as “A state in which patients show more than reflex responsiveness but remain unable to communicate their thoughts and feelings and differs from a VS by the presence of inconsistent but clearly discernible behavioral
Some would even say that it is the soundtrack to our lives and certain music can bring back certain memories or emotions for people. Other than being a part of our day to day culture, music is now being used as a method of therapy for people who have medical disorders such as schizophrenia, walking impairment due to acquired brain injury, depression and autism. The relation between the therapeutic effects and the exact neuronal mechanisms isn't quite understood yet. The Chubu Medical Center for Prolonged Traumatic Brain Dysfunction at Kizawa Memorial Hospital is a medical center for the treatment and medical care of patients with prolonged consciousness impairment after severe traumatic brain injury due to traffic accidents. This medical center now incorporates music therapy to help stimulate and awake patients with years of consciousness impairment. The good news is that there has been some correlation with physical responses and the music for patients in MCS, although, no studies have been made that show brain activation following music ¬related exercises in patients who are in VS or