WHAT IS NEUROLOGIC MUSIC THERAPY?​

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Neurologic music therapy (NMT) is an advanced form of music therapy that uses evidence-based techniques to treat the brain.  These techniques emphasize the use of music and rhythm to achieve non-musical goals in the areas of cognition, physical movement, and speech.  The Center for Biomedical Research in Music defines NMT as “the therapeutic application of music to cognitive, sensory, and motor dysfunctions due to disease of the human nervous system.”

Research has demonstrated that music and rhythm affects multiple areas of the brain simultaneously and that the brain that engages in music is actually changed by that engagement.  Music can help build new neural connections in the brain through experience and exposure, thus improving rehabilitative potential and the ability of the brain to “rewire” itself after trauma or injury, allowing individuals to lead more productive and functional lives. 

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For more information about neurologic music therapy, visit the website of the Center for Biomedical Research in Music at www.colostate.edu/depts/cbrm.