Neuro-scientific basis and effectiveness of music and music therapy in neuromotor rehabilitation. Critical review

The human brain is exquisitely sensitive to musical stimuli. This review aims to include such concepts and to resume studies regarding the use of music and music therapy in neuromotor rehabilitation. We analysed the main literature about neuroscientific bases of the therapy with music and controlled or randomized trials present in PUBMED, PsychINFO and in the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials using key words like “music”, “music therapy”, “motor rehabilitation”, “neurorehabilitation”, “Parkinson’s disease”, “stroke”, “brain injury”, “multiple sclerosis”, “amyotrophic lateral sclerosis”, “ataxia”. We considered the trials specifically referring to neuromotor rehabilitation treatments. Our analysis indicates significant effects of music and music therapy techniques on neuromotor rehabilitation in particular in the rehabilitation of stroke and Parkinson’s disease. It is emerged a need for a greater definition of the contents of music interventions and for a more scientific and methodological rigor in the conduction of studies.