MUSIC THERAPY IN ACTION
Music has shown positive effects in a variety of patient populations for improving symptoms related to different diseases and disorders. Here’s a sampling of some of the more common uses of music therapy.
| PATIENT POPULATION | NONMUSIC BEHAVIORS |
| Autism spectrum disorder | Movement, communication, speech and language, social skills, attention, cognition, activities of daily living |
| Alzhteimer’s disease and dementia | Memory, mood, social interaction |
| Traumatic brain injury | Movement, communication, speech and language, social skills, attention, memory, cognition |
| Mental health and mood disorders | Self-esteem, awareness of self and environment, expression, reality testing, social skills, attention, cognition |
| Pain management | Anxiety and stress, mood, feelings of control |
| Cancer | Anxiety and stress, mood, feelings of control, coping skills |
| Movement disorders and stroke | Movement, speech and language, swallowing , respiratory control, memory, cognition |
| Hospice | Anxiety and stress, mood, feelings of control, coping skills |
Elizabeth Stegemöller is a board-certified music therapist and neuroscientist at Iowa State University, where she studies the effects of music on movement and associated neurophysiology in persons with Parkinson’s disease.