Introduction Though the fields of science and art may seem disconnected, certain art forms such as music can be applied to traditionally scientific operations, and particular scientific phenomena may be influenced by distinct art forms. Music therapy (MT) is an emerging discipline that allows surgeons to address lingering postoperative (after surgery) psychological effects patients face while improving palliative benefits through the implementation of specially-designed music monitoring techniques (1). Noise-canceling headphones placed on conscious but sedated patients allow for the introduction of intraoperative (during surgical procedures) music, which is thought to diminish the likelihood of negative outcomes, such as nerve damage and chronic pain, brought on by surgical complications. These negative outcomes may further be avoided via brain mapping wherein biological data from the human brain is interpreted as spatial representations resembling maps to further study the anatomy of the central nervous system (CNS). As such, combining MT and brain mapping may have positive implications for postoperative outcomes in the neurological context. According to recent studies, the use of MT and mapping of specific cortical sites in the brain during awake surgical procedures in particular have shown postoperative benefits. By creating cortical maps to distinguish different regions in the cerebral cortex, there is an increased ability to pinpoint which part(s) of the cortex experience disturbances to large neural networks (2). Such disruptions may alter the functionality responsible for carrying out high-level cognitive tasks relating to playing music, thus demonstrating the need to further examine the relationship between music and cognitive behaviors. The effects of MT in conjunction with motor control monitoring, examination of cognitive conformability, and analysis of psychological symptoms have the potential to significantly decrease depressive symptoms and pain episodes while providing a lasting increase in postoperative cognitive capabilities for both musicians and nonmusicians.
like tension and anxiety lead to adverse outcomes, such as abnormal circadian sleep patterns, hypertension, and irregular heart rhythms, which significantly subside with the use of MT. As established by an evaluation of anxiety levels across liver cancer cases, traditional care only provides adjuvant treatment for such maladies; it does not have the same effect on patient outcomes as MT interventions would. In this study, scientists measured anxiety levels in t w o differing groups of patients via the Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS). It was found that anxiety levels of non-MT patients (with a mean of 45.2 points +/- a 9.52 standard margin of error) was much higher than that of patients in the MT group (with a mean of 37.65 points +/- a 8.54 standard error) (1). Even though these statistical findings suggest the effectiveness of MT in diminishing postoperative anxiety, there is still uncertainty surrounding the direct implications of this alternative therapy in further facilitating and maintaining a positive resolution throughout surgery. Craniotomies are a specific type of surgical procedure that allow immediate access to the exposed brain through temporary removal of a bone flap from the skull. Specifically, awake craniotomies provide the opportunity for cortical and subcortical brain mapping, which minimizes surgical morbidity (temporary or permanent disability observed during or after surgery) and optimizes the potential for larger amounts of tissue to be successfully resected, or removed during surgery (2). Similarly, intraoperative musical performance during brain lesion resection may prevent potential subsequent neurological disturbances. Because playing musical instruments requires a substantial amount of skill and simultaneous activation of higher level cognitive tasks, performing music during active surgery may very well help uncover the linkage between music and cognitive function in relation to marked regions of the encephalon (3).
Music Therapy & Brain Mapping MT has largely been regarded as a novel application in clinical practice over the past few years, as it has been shown to improve the emotional states of patients experiencing preoperative (before surgery) stress or long postoperative treatment cycles. New approaches in intraoperative MT also continue to gain recognition as they assist in the restoration of mental health in patients post-surgery and increase clinical efficacy (2). The benefits of MT are derived from resonance (the manner in which music affects individuals psychologically and physically), stimulation of dopamine within the limbic system, and brainstem network theory. Brainstem network theory states that music is passed along the brainstem network structure in a series of impulses, ultimately regulating the activity of the CNS and one’s physiological and psychological states. Previous research studies have found that negative preoperative emotions
Monitoring Motor Control During Awake Craniotomies Recently, researchers have proposed that musicians may benefit from playing their instruments during awake craniotomies, as it enables surgeons to monitor both motor control and preservation of one’s cognitive state after surgery. While traditional MT methods have indicated vast improvements in the emotional states and cognitive abilities of patients throughout recovery, a more focused study of individuals with instrumental experience can help further evaluate the distinct brain region responsible for dissociative motor behavior. A 2019 case study done by Dr. Vitoria Piai and her colleagues at the Donders Institute for Brain Cognition and Behavior in Nijmegen, Netherlands evaluated the resection of a tumor in the left supplementary motor area (SMA) in the brain of a violinist between the ages of 35-40 with more than sixteen years of musical education (4). The SMA is crucial for fine motor skills involved in music performance. In order
...combining MT and brain mapping may have positive implications for postoperative outcomes in the neurological context.
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