WHAT'S KNOWN ON THIS SUBJECT: Recorded music, parent voices, and sung lullabies have been shown to increase oxygen saturation, nonnutritive sucking, and weight gain in premature infants.WHAT THIS STUDY ADDS: Parent-preferred melodies and entrained live rhythm and breath sounds can enhance quiet alert and sleep states, suck response, and oxygen saturation in premature infants and significantly reduce fear and anxiety perception in parents. abstract OBJECTIVES: Recorded music risks overstimulation in NICUs. The live elements of music such as rhythm, breath, and parent-preferred lullabies may affect physiologic function (eg, heart and respiratory rates, O 2 saturation levels, and activity levels) and developmental function (eg, sleep, feeding behavior, and weight gain) in premature infants. METHODS:A randomized clinical multisite trial of 272 premature infants aged $32 weeks with respiratory distress syndrome, clinical sepsis, and/or SGA (small for gestational age) served as their own controls in 11 NICUs. Infants received 3 interventions per week within a 2-week period, when data of physiologic and developmental domains were collected before, during, and after the interventions or no interventions and daily during a 2-week period.RESULTS: Three live music interventions showed changes in heart rate interactive with time. Lower heart rates occurred during the lullaby (P , .001) and rhythm intervention (P = .04). Sucking behavior showed differences with rhythm sound interventions (P = .03). Entrained breath sounds rendered lower heart rates after the intervention (P = .04) and differences in sleep patterns (P , .001). Caloric intake (P = .01) and sucking behavior (P = .02) were higher with parent-preferred lullabies. Music decreased parental stress perception (P , .001). CONCLUSIONS:The informed, intentional therapeutic use of live sound and parent-preferred lullabies applied by a certified music therapist can influence cardiac and respiratory function. Entrained with a premature infant' s observed vital signs, sound and lullaby may improve feeding behaviors and sucking patterns and may increase prolonged periods of quiet-alert states. Parent-preferred lullabies, sung live, can enhance bonding, thus decreasing the stress parents associate with premature infant care.

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The use of music therapy intervention in the treatment of trauma and posttraumatic stress disorder for veterans and military service men and women has received increasing attention in the literature in recent years. The purpose of this paper is to identify primary music therapy techniques utilized in the treatment of trauma and PTSD to best meet the broad and complex needs of veterans and military service members. To continue development of high-quality music therapy treatment standards for services provided this vulnerable population, clinical rationales and theoretical foundations have also been explored. As such, three research questions have been posed for this investigation. These questions were designed with the intention of confirming treatment efficacy and reliability and re-emphasizing the importance of understanding the theoretical underpinnings necessary to inform and validate a trauma-informed music therapy practice. Research questions for this analysis are stated as: (a) What are the primary music therapy techniques utilized in the treatment of trauma and PTSD with veterans and military service members?, (b) Is justification or rationale offered for the use of these identified music therapy interventions?, and (c) Are music, therapy, music therapy and/or trauma theory(ies) identified as informing the rationale(s) for the chosen music therapy interventions used with this treatment population?

Abstract:The purpose of this article is to illustrate individualized clinical practice in music therapy as part of treatment programming for veterans with PTSD. Multidimensional aspects of treatment are referenced through an integrative and multi-modal approach to highlight the coordination of processes in meeting veteran needs and goals. The incorporation of Somatic Experiencing® techniques will also be highlighted as a means of promoting stabilization and developing resiliency by increasing awareness of sensate experience to help resolve fixated physiologic states due to traumatic stress. Current trauma models will be reviewed to help explore additional needs for growth in music therapy practice in the treatment of veterans coping with trauma.