Music may have a future role in heart and stroke patient rehab

[Celebration]

http://www.physorg.com/news164907639.html

Blood flow and respiratory rates can synch with music, indicating that music could one day be a therapeutic tool for blood pressure control and rehabilitation, according to a study by Italian researchers published in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.

..........snip..............

"Music induces a continuous, dynamic — and to some extent predictable — change in the cardiovascular system," said Luciano Bernardi, M.D., lead researcher of the study and professor of Internal Medicine at Pavia University in Pavia, Italy. "It is not only the emotion that creates the cardiovascular changes, but this study suggests that also the opposite might be possible, that cardiovascular changes may be the substrate for emotions, likely in a bi-directional way."

Researchers studied 24 healthy Caucasians matched for age and sex — 24 to 26 years old with 12 experienced singers (nine women) and 12 participants (seven women) who had no previous musical training. Study participants were fitted with headphones and were attached to electrocardiogram (ECG) and monitors to measure blood pressure, cerebral artery flow, respiration and narrowing of blood vessels on the skin.

Five random tracks of classical music were played — including selections from Beethoven's Ninth Symphony; an aria from Puccini's Turandot; a Bach cantata (BMW 169); Va Pensiero from Nabucco; Libiam Nei Lieti Calici from La Traviata — as well as two minutes of silence.

Every crescendo led to increased narrowing of blood vessels under the skin, increased blood pressure and heart rate and increased respiration amplitude. In each music track the extent of the effect was proportional to the change in music profile.

[uppityperson]

1. Very interesting, thank you.

Another use for music is being in the hospital and listening to all the hospital noises, makes for a stressful experience. Having light music playing can help you tune out all those whoosh whooshes and feet and bings and dings and glings and all of that.

The study you post sounds quite interesting.

[thecrow]

2. I got permission to do this for my dad

When he was at Beth Israel in Newark... he had two heart attacks and was hooked up to all kinds of medical devices that constantly beeped, plus a respirator that made noise.
He was awake and afraid so I asked my brother to bring whatever was on his cd player and we put the headphones on him and POOF! instant relaxation.
I asked the head of the hospital why they didn't provide music to their patients and he said they had never thought of it!
I don't think my dad remembers it, but it was a way to "get out of the hospital" for him.
Music put him in a familiar place, and the headphones shut out the medical sounds.

Never do this if you don't first get permission, though.

[uppityperson]

3. True, that, since sometimes the sounds are necessary

I spent 2 nights in a room on a regular floor, not ICU, and it was very noisy.

Headphones are a really good idea.

[Celebration]

4. Do I have a story about that!!!

My night in the hospital after having a baby, they decided to WAX THE FLOORS IN THE HALL. It broke every decibel level possible. I couldn't get to sleep so I called the nurses station to get some medication that the doctor had prescribed, should I need it.

Guess what?? They wouldn't bring it to me. Why not? Well, they were WAXING THE FLOORS and claimed they couldn't get to my room.

At that point I just about washed my hands of hospitals. I got exactly zero hours of sleep the night before I went home with a brand new baby.

[Warpy]

5. Musical Intonation Therapy

has been used in speech rehab for decades, based on the weird experience of singing "Happy Birthday" to a group of totally aphasic patients and having them join in, words and all.