Satoh Masayuki
Department of Dementia Prevention and Therapeutics, Mie University, Mie, Japan.
Brain Nerve. 2011 Dec;63(12):1370-7.
Music is known to affect the human mind and body. Music therapy utilizes the effects of music for medical purposes. The history of music therapy is quite long, but only limited evidence supports its usefulness in the treatment of higher cognitive dysfunction. As for dementia, some studies conclude that music therapy is effective for preventing cognitive deterioration and the occurrence of behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD). In patients receiving music therapy for the treatment of higher cognitive dysfunction, aphasia was reported as the most common symptom. Many studies have been conducted to determine whether singing can improve aphasic symptoms: singing familiar and/or unfamiliar songs did not show any positive effect on aphasia. Melodic intonation therapy (MIT) is a method that utilizes melody and rhythm to improve speech output. MIT is a method that is known to have positive effects on aphasic patients. Some studies of music therapy for patients with unilateral spatial neglect; apraxia; hemiparesis; and walking disturbances, including parkinsonian gait, are available in the literature. Studies showed that the symptoms of unilateral spatial neglect and hemiparesis significantly improved when musical instruments were played for several months as a part of the music therapy. Here, I describe my study in which mental singing showed a positive effect on parkinsonian gait. Music is interesting, and every patient can go through training without any pain. Future studies need to be conducted to establish evidence of the positive effects of music therapy on neurological and neuropsychological symptoms.
众所周知，音乐会影响人的身心。音乐疗法利用音乐的作用来达到医疗目的。音乐疗法的历史颇为悠久，但仅有有限的证据支持其在治疗高级认知功能障碍方面的有效性。至于痴呆症，一些研究得出结论，音乐疗法对于预防认知衰退以及痴呆症的行为和心理症状（BPSD）的发生是有效的。在接受音乐疗法治疗高级认知功能障碍的患者中，失语被报告为最常见的症状。已经开展了许多研究来确定唱歌是否能改善失语症状：唱熟悉和/或不熟悉的歌曲对失语均未显示出任何积极效果。旋律语调疗法（MIT）是一种利用旋律和节奏来改善言语输出的方法。MIT是一种已知对失语患者有积极作用的方法。文献中有一些关于音乐疗法治疗单侧空间忽视、失用症、偏瘫以及包括帕金森步态在内的行走障碍患者的研究。研究表明，作为音乐疗法的一部分，演奏乐器几个月后，单侧空间忽视和偏瘫的症状有显著改善。在此我描述我的研究，即内心歌唱对帕金森步态有积极作用。音乐很有趣，每位患者都能毫无痛苦地接受训练。未来需要开展研究以确立音乐疗法对神经和神经心理症状有积极作用的证据。
