Does Music Therapy Improve Gait after Traumatic Brain Injury and Spinal Cord Injury? A Mini Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Abstract

There is a growing body of research examining the potential benefits of music therapy-based auditory stimulation (MT) for individuals with movement disorders in improving gait performance. However, there is limited knowledge about the effects of MT on gait outcomes in individuals with traumatic brain injury (TBI) or spinal cord injury (SCI). A previous review of MT’s impact on gait in TBI had limitations, and there are no studies on its effects on gait in SCI. In this study, we conducted a meta-analysis to more thoroughly evaluate the impact of MT on gait outcomes in individuals with TBI and SCI. We systematically searched through eight databases and found six studies on MT in TBI and four on SCI. Our meta-analysis showed that MT has positive medium effect improvements on spatiotemporal aspects of gait in individuals with TBI (Hedge’s g: 0.52) and SCI (0.53). These findings suggest that MT could be a practical intervention for enhancing different aspects of gait in these populations, although the limited number and “fair” quality of the studies included in the meta-analysis may affect the generalizability of the outcomes. Further research is needed to fully understand the mechanisms by which MT may influence gait and determine the optimal parameters for its use.

Treatments and regulatory mechanisms of acoustic stimuli on mood disorders and neurological diseases

“…The transition from psychological distress and neurological impairments to psychological well-being and physiological stability through music therapy is depicted (Guetin et al, 2009;Ozdemir and Akdemir, 2009;Loewy, 2020;Chen et al, 2021;Matziorinis and Koelsch, 2022;Fan et al, 2023;Navarro et al, 2023). Initial symptoms such as anxiety, tremors, and cognitive decline are characteristic of mood disorders (Fan et al, 2023) and neurological diseases in pretherapy states (Church et al, 2018;Schwartz et al, 2019;Jones et al, 2020;Matziorinis and Koelsch, 2022;Ghai, 2023). Following therapy, improved relaxation, cognitive acuity, and motor control are evident (Guetin et al, 2009;Ozdemir and Akdemir, 2009;Metzler-Baddeley et al, 2014;Pezzin et al, 2018;Loewy, 2020;Chen et al, 2021;Matziorinis and Koelsch, 2022;Fan et al, 2023;Ghai, 2023;Navarro et al, 2023).…”

“…Initial symptoms such as anxiety, tremors, and cognitive decline are characteristic of mood disorders (Fan et al, 2023) and neurological diseases in pretherapy states (Church et al, 2018;Schwartz et al, 2019;Jones et al, 2020;Matziorinis and Koelsch, 2022;Ghai, 2023). Following therapy, improved relaxation, cognitive acuity, and motor control are evident (Guetin et al, 2009;Ozdemir and Akdemir, 2009;Metzler-Baddeley et al, 2014;Pezzin et al, 2018;Loewy, 2020;Chen et al, 2021;Matziorinis and Koelsch, 2022;Fan et al, 2023;Ghai, 2023;Navarro et al, 2023). Music-evoked autobiographical memories are prompted by musical cues, provoking immediate emotional reactions and spontaneously revealing information about an individual's past (Cuddy et al, 2015;Shankar, 2022).…”

“…A study of five HD patients indicated that drumming exercises of 15 min per day 5 times per week for 2 months considerably improve speech and pronunciation, and reduce choreiform movements (Metzler-Baddeley et al, 2014) (Figure 1). Additionally, Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is a brain dysfunction caused by an outside force, usually a violent blow to the head (Ghai, 2023). Studies have shown that music therapy can be used to improve gait, coordination, attention, memory, mood, and social interaction in individuals with TBI (Sihvonen et al, 2022;Ghai, 2023).…”

“…Additionally, Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is a brain dysfunction caused by an outside force, usually a violent blow to the head (Ghai, 2023). Studies have shown that music therapy can be used to improve gait, coordination, attention, memory, mood, and social interaction in individuals with TBI (Sihvonen et al, 2022;Ghai, 2023).…”