Troops Strike Up a Tune to Repair the Damage of Brain Injuries
The opening riff of “Takin’ Care of Business” thumps rhythmically from an iPod as a room full of middle-aged military veterans tap in time on drums. This is the sound of brain rehab. Related ArticlesShock to the SystemMonitoring Soldiers' Brains in the FieldA "Mood Ring" For Brain TraumaTagsScience, brain rehab, headlines, January 2010, neurologic music therapy, short-term memory loss, traumatic brain injuryStudies show that music can promote new neural connections, which Colorado State University neuroscientist Michael Thaut theorized could help overcome common symptoms of traumatic brain injury (TBI), such as short-term memory loss and impaired decision-making skills. Thaut and his colleagues enrolled 31 veterans suffering from TBI in a “neurologic music therapy” study where each drummer matches rhythms and tempos set by a bandleader. Last summer, they published results that show that after several 30-minute sessions, the group performed better on standard decision-making tests. One beneficiary of the treatment is retired...