Music Therapy helps prevent Epileptic seizure- Music Therapy might someday help people with epilepsy, about 80 percent of epilepsy patients have temporal lobe epilepsy, in which seizures originate in the temporal lobe of the brain, based on research.
Music is processed in the auditory cortex, located in the same region of the brain, which is why researchers from Ohio State University’s Wexner Medical Center wanted to study the connection.
Epilepsy is a group of neurological disorders characterized byepileptic seizures. Epileptic seizures are episodes that can vary from brief and nearly undetectable to long periods of vigorous shaking. In epilepsy, seizures tend to recur, and have no immediate underlying cause while seizures that occur due to a specific cause are not deemed to represent epilepsy.
The cause of most cases of epilepsy is unknown, although some people develop epilepsy as the result of brain injury, stroke, brain tumor, and drug and alcohol abuse. Genetic mutations are linked to a small proportion of the disease. Epileptic seizures are the result of excessive and abnormal cortical nerve cell activity in the brain.The diagnosis typically involves ruling out other conditions that might cause similar symptoms such as fainting. Additionally, making the diagnosis involves determining if any other cause of seizures is present such as alcohol withdrawal or electrolyte problems.This may be done by imaging the brain and performing blood tests.
Seizures are controllable with medication in about 70% of cases. In those whose seizures do not respond to medication, surgery,neurostimulation or dietary changes may be considered. Not all cases of epilepsy are lifelong, and many people improve to the point that medication is no longer needed.
The American Psychological Association’s 123rd annual convention in Toronto, suggests that playing jazz or classical piano to patients suffering from the cerebral seizure disorder can alter the electrical impulses in their brains and calm them down. Since seizures are triggered by stress, lack of sleep, too much alcohol, the harried moments of everyday life music is a promising new tool that might help people with epilepsy to gain control, relax, possibly become more mindful.
“It could be helpful as a new treatment or Music Therapy or prevention one day. It could help give people with epilepsy some new hope.”Christine Charyton, assistant professor of neurology at Ohio State University’s Wexner Medical Centre said.
“We were surprised by the findings. We hypothesized that music would be processed in the brain differently than silence. We did not know if this would be the same or different for people with epilepsy,” she said.IMAGE/www.orchardtrusttraining.co.uk
