Music facilitates recovery from stroke

This news item was added on 21st February 2008

Music can help to speed up recovery from stroke, according to a new study in the medical journal Brain.

Researchers at the University of Helsinki found that patients who listened to their own choice of music during the first two months after a stroke showed a 60 per cent improvement in verbal memory after three months.

However, patients who just received standard stroke rehabilitation therapy only benefited from a 29 per cent improvement in verbal memory.

In addition, patients receiving music therapy demonstrated a 17 per cent improvement in their ability to control and perform mental operations, while those who did not listen to music showed no improvement.

Study author Teppo Sarkamo, a PhD student in the university's Cognitive Brain Research Unit, said: "These differences in cognitive recovery can be directly attributed to the effect of listening to music.

"As a result of our findings, we suggest that everyday music listening during early stroke recovery offers a valuable addition to the patient's care."