TDNet Discover

Background: Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) are a common condition affecting 27-69 million people annually. Such an injury can lead to cognitive, mood-based, neurological, or a combination of symptoms that can persist long-term and change a person’s quality of life. TBIs have standardized treatments and therapeutic regimens that have been shown to improve outcomes. Musical forms of therapy have proven beneficial but are not part of standard practice. Purpose: This research examined the use of Neurological Music Therapy (NMT) as an adjunct therapy in the treatment of TBIs. This paper’s goal is to evaluate the benefits of implementing music therapy into current TBI treatment guidelines based on recent controlled studies conducted and stimulate progress in our understanding and use of NMT. Methods: The current literature on NMT was evaluated and assessed for its efficacy in a systematic review performed from October 2023 to December 2023. This was conducted to understand better NMT and whether it improved patient outcomes. The researchers screened the literature of several peer-reviewed databases for studies on using NMT in TBI management, evaluated their procedures and results, and outlined them in this review. Results: Three studies were included in this research to display that NMT has been shown to improve outcomes of TBI patients, especially in executive function, and that these improvements can be long-lasting. This review aims to prompt further research on how NMT can help people with TBIs and encourage medical professionals to try it as an adjunct treatment to the TBI standard of care. Conclusion: The researchers were able to conclude that NMT has shown improved executive function in patients with diagnosed TBIs. It appears that NMT can be an adequate adjunct resource in the standard of care for TBI patients.