Neurologic Music Therapy​

What is Neurologic Music Therapy?

Neurologic Music Therapy (NMT) is defined as the therapeutic application of music to cognitive, speech and language, and motor dysfunctions due to neurologic disease of the human nervous system. NMT is based on a neuroscience model of music perception and production, and the influence of music on function changes in nonmusical brain and behavior functions.

Neurological Music therapist have completed a music therapy program at a credentialed university or college, completed their six-month internship, and passed the boards certification exam.  Music therapy is an established health profession which uses music to address a variety of physical, cognitive, social, emotional, and behavioral needs of the individual. In addition they have successfully completed advanced training through the Academy of Neurological Music Therapy in the last 3 years.

Neurologic Music Therapy focuses on three main goal areas: Cognition, Speech/Language, and Motor skills.

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Cognition: 

• ​Goals may be used to address a number of cognitive goals including attention, memory, executive function, and sensory integration
• Clinical populations include acquired brain injury, Alzheimer's and Dementia, Autism, brain tumor, Parkinson's and multiple sclerosis.  Techniques may also be used with individuals who would like to work on any of the above mentioned goals. 

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Speech and Language:
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• Goals may include speech development, word retrieval, fluency, articulation, breath support, voicing volume, voice inflection, and non-verbal expressive communication.
•  Clinical populations include individuals with aphasia, apraxia, dysarthria, Parkinson's, Autism, and developmental delays.  We also work with individuals with Down syndrome.

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Motor: 

• ​​NMT interventions can address motor goals using musical elements such as melody, harmony, rhythm, and dynamics to cue and support movement, and to increase range of motion, balance, strength, and endurance.
• NMT has proven highly effective for gait regulation.
• Clinical populations include Parkinson's, acquired brain injury, stroke, ASD, and orthopedic conditions.  We can also use these techniques  with individual's with cerebral palsy and Down syndrome.

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We currently have one music therapist who is practicing Neurologic Music Therapy and they are stationed in Allen and Huntington Counties.