Music Therapy Improves Brain Function  Mind-Body-Spirit News:
Listening to music stimulates the brain and the body-mind
connection and can reactivate speech centers of the brain,
prompt memory and improve gait and coordination. Owing to the
strength of the research evidence, clinical training is now
being offered to teach specialists how to use music therapy,
according to Robin L. Brey, MD, editor in chief of Neurology Now
(November–December 2006 issue).  Studies show that music
therapy, pioneered by Oliver Sacks, MD, and popularized in the
movie Awakenings, helps to treat patients with neurological
conditions by stimulating the brain to change. More and more
studies are substantiating that the brain has tremendous
potential for recovery. “In part,” Brey says, “[that’s] because
the brain is a very large and complicated network with the
potential for rewiring. And if the connections to one area are
damaged due to neurological diseases, then other connections can
be coaxed into play—sometimes in pretty creativ