How the Power of Music Affects the Brain

Science all but confirms that people are hard-wired to react to music. Studies indicate that music may even assist patients to heal from Parkinson’s disease or a stroke.

In the ability of Music, Elena Mannes investigates how music impacts different kinds of people and how it could play a part in health care.

Mannes tracked the relationship over the span of a life span with music. She tells NPR’s Neal Conan that studies reveal that infants prefer”consonant intervals, the smooth-sounding ones that seem nice to our Western ears at a chord, rather than a jarring mix of notes”

In fact, Mannes claims that the cries of babies were found to contain a number of the intervals frequent to Western songs.

She says scientists have found that music stimulates more parts of the mind than every other function. That is why she sees much potential in audio ability to alter the mind and change.

Mannes says songs also have the potential to aid people with neurological deficits. “A stroke patient with a lost verbal purpose — those verbal functions could be stimulated by music,” she says.

One technique, known as intonation therapy, uses music into taking around for the ones, to coax portions of the brain. In some cases, it can help patients recover their capacity.

And because of how we associate memories and music, Mannes states these techniques may be helpful for Alzheimer’s patients.

Less recently, archaeologists have discovered ancient flutes — among which is regarded as the oldest musical instrument on earth — that play a scale similar to the Western era.