Pilot research has found that a music therapy strategy may help youngsters with severe acquired brain injuries (ABI) meet their walking recovery goals. The first-of-its-kind research project suggests rhythmic auditory stimulation could augment the physiotherapy ordinarily offered to children and young people with severe acquired brain injury.
The practice aims to improve walking speed and quality of movement by using rhythms to provide cues for patients' stepping rates. In establishing neurological connections between auditory prompts and physical movements, the technique has been shown to facilitate smoother and more coordinated walking patterns.
The approach has improved walking speed among people who have suffered a stroke, those living with Parkinson’s disease and, more recently, children with cerebral palsy. All participants of the study, published in the International Journal of Therapy and Rehabilitation and involving a music therapy expert from Anglia Ruskin University (ARU), showed improvement as a result of rhythmic auditory stimulation being added to their rehabilitation programme, with the most marked advances evident in walking quality.
Dr. Jonathan Pool, Senior Research Fellow at Anglia Ruskin University's Cambridge Institute for Music Therapy Research and an author of the study said, “This is the first study to look at rhythmic auditory stimulation for children and young people with acquired brain injury. As a pilot study, it provides initial evidence of the effect of music on gait rehabilitation for this population and has revealed insights into some of the issues for researchers in this area.”
He added, “While showing variation across participants in the benefits of rhythmic auditory stimulation, the study findings are encouraging and indicate that the detailed assessment of quality of movement should be considered alongside other tests when measuring functional gains in gait rehabilitation.”