Music mnemonics aid verbal memory and induce learning in multiple sclerosis

(2014). Music mnemonics aid verbal memory and induce learning-related brain plasticity in multiple sclerosis. Frontiers of Human Neuroscience, June,8, 395.

Authors

M.H. Thaut – Center for Biomedical Research in Music, Colorado State University

D.A. Peterson – Computational Neurobiology Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological Studies

G.C. McIntosh – Department of Neurology, University of Colorado Health

V. Hoemberg – Department of Neurology, SRH Rehabilitation Hospital Bad Wimpfen

Abstract

We investigated if a musical template can enhance verbal learning in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and if music-assisted learning will also influence short-term, system-level brain plasticity. We measured systems-level brain activity with oscillatory network synchronization during music-assisted learning. The study sample was randomly divided into two groups, either hearing a spoken or a musical (sung) presentation of Rey’s auditory verbal learning test. Patients in the music condition showed overall better word memory an better word order memory an stronger bilateral frontal alpha “learning related synchronization” than patients in the spoken condition.

http://journal.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fnhum.2014.00395/full