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Music Therapy and Cancer

February 4th, 2009 · Music and Cancer

Music Therapy helps relieve anxiety of cancer

Music therapy and cancer are the topics of much research.  Music “has Charms to sooth a savage Breast,” wrote playwright William Congreve, “To soften Rocks, or bend a knotted Oak.” But can it soothe those mired in the grief, confusion and pain of cancer diagnosis and treatment?
Music therapist Megan Gunnell at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center thinks so. She uses music to help heal cancer patients’ spirits as well as their bodies.UM Music therapist Megan Gunnell
You can listen to one of her music therapy sessions. You’ll need QuickTime music player . As an example of the importance music can have in a cancer’s patient’s life, University of Michigan Cancer Center invites us to consider Gisele Bigras. One day she was a college student finishing up another year of school. The next day, she was a cancer patient faced with having one of her fingers removed. Gisele, at 19, had epithelioid sarcoma in her finger. Finding out she had cancer put her in a state of shock and panic. But music brought her back.
“Music has always played a huge part in my life. Music therapy helped me focus on something else other than the traumatic events of the cancer diagnosis, and just forget for an hour or so, to just go into a different world for a little bit,” Bigras says.
Bigras is one of many patients at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center who participates in music therapy. The idea is to use music to help patients cope with physical symptoms, such as pain, reduce their anxiety and find an outlet for their emotions.
“We find that patients are trying to cope with many things. They’re trying to keep it all together, and sometimes if you give them a safe environment and permission to let go, a lot can come out through that,” says music therapist Megan Gunnell. Music therapy can be as straightforward as listening to recorded or live music. It could mean playing a guitar, piano or even just shaking a tambourine. It could mean writing songs or discussing the meaning behind lyrics.
For Gisele Bigras, music therapy turned into an opportunity to write and record her own song. The song, “Back on the Ground,” covers three stages: the happiness before cancer, the chaos of diagnosis and the realization afterward that she could move on.
“Listening to it helps me realize I’m coming out of this. Everything’s fine and I can move on from here,” Bigras says. Research in music therapy shows that in addition to helping with emotional expression, music helps reduce anxiety and perceptions of pain. Controlled studies also found that patients having music therapy show improved immune system functioning.
“You don’t have to have any musical background to experience music therapy,” Gunnell says. “You’re able to participate because you are naturally rhythmical. You have a lot of rhythms and melody already going on in your own system.”
Getting started
There are simple ways to enjoy the calming benefits of music. Start with these suggestions:
• Listen to soothing music. Your heart rate can change based on the tempo of what you’re listening to.
• Bring an iPod or mp3 player to doctors’ appointments to help pass the wait time and reduce anxiety. • Listen to live music. Seek out local performances.
• Analyze the lyrics to a favorite song and consider what is meaningful to you at this time in your life.
• Find music that matches your mood. Music can support you through a multitude of emotions.

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Music, Ear, Mood

January 31st, 2009 · Music Medicine

You probably know that music, the ear, and your mood and intricately connected.  Many people have blogged about the importance of music to our workouts. There has been a lot of research about the effect of music on mood and even matching tempo to heart rate. There also appears to be a magic number for volume; Spinal Tap had it right all along.
Dr. Neil Todd and his team has been cited extensively on their research regarding the sacculus, an organ in the inner ear that helps regulate balance. The sacculus is attached to the hypothalamus by the vestibular nerve. The hypothalamus is the part of the brain that helps regulate appetite, libido, temperature, anger, and fatigue. They report that this connection could explain the rush that many feel when their balance is effected through carnival rides, bungee jumping, or even swinging as a child.
They have found that the sacculus also appears to be stimulated by sounds above 90 decibels. A very similar physical and emotional rush can be experienced when we listen to music above 90 decibels. Todd has stated that “the distribution of frequencies that are typical in rock concerts and at dance clubs almost seem designed to stimulate the sacculus.” Rock and dance music are often the most commonly chosen playlists for exercise, and most people like to turn the volume up to drown out the rest of the world, likely putting you at or above the 90 decibel level.
Normal conversation is approximately 60 decibels, a dial tone is about 80 decibels, and street traffic while sitting in your car is approximately 80 decibels. Singing (you know you rock out in the car) can have the same effect on your sacculus. No wonder we love turning up our tunes and hearing ourselves sing while driving in traffic; it’s not just the acoustics of your vehicle. Large groups of people chanting or cheering can also have a similar effect, adding to the emotional tie to your favorite football team; isn’t it more fun to watch the big game at the stadium or a party?
Exercise alone provides a sense of euphoria, improves circadian rhythms, and improves mood. Music helps us prepare for exercise, makes it more enjoyable, and helps us extend our workouts. When listening to loud music, you may be regulating appetite, temperature, libido, fatigue, and mood through your hypothalamus. However, research states that continued exposure to noises above 85 decibels can cause hearing loss, so we are not suggesting that you turn up the tunes too far.
Post from: Diets in Review Blog

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Can Music Improve Test Scores?

January 30th, 2009 · Classical Music, Don Campbell, Music and the Brain

Improving Test Scores with Music

When I go out to speak to teachers, parents, and education administrators, I usually tell them that a simple way students can improve test scores is by listening to certain types of music such as Mozart’s Sonata for Two Piano’s in D Major before taking a test. This type of music releases neuro-hormones in the brain which help the body to relax. The effectiveness of Mozart’s sonatas can be seen by the results from an IQ test performed on three groups of college students. The first group listened to a Mozart sonata before taking the test. The second group listened to a relaxation tape before their test. The third group did not listen to anything before the test. The first group had the highest score with an average of 119. The second group ended up with an average of 111, and the third group had the lowest score with an average of 110.
William Balach, Kelly Bowman, and Lauri Mohler, all from Pennsylvania State University, studied the effects of music genre and tempo on memory retention. They had four groups learn vocabulary words using one of four instrumental pieces – slow classical, slow jazz, fast classical, and fast jazz. Each of the four groups was divided into smaller groups for the recall test. These sub groups used either the same (i.e. slow classical, slow classical) or different (i.e. slow jazz, fast classical) pieces when taking the recall test. The results did show a dependency on the music. Recall was better when the music was the same during learning and testing. These same researchers did another test which restricted the changes in the music to just tempo (i.e. slow to fast jazz) or just genre (i.e. slow jazz to slow classical). Surprisingly, the results showed that changing the genre had no effect on recall but changing the tempo decreased recall.
for more info, see http://www.cerebromente.org.br/n15/mente/musica.html

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The Music of Nature

January 27th, 2009 · Nature's Music, Vibrational and Sound Healing

Vibrations and Sounds in Nature

Today I received this post from my friend Jodi. She has an awesome blog entitled “God is a Verb.” This is just an excerpt, to see the entire post go here.
“The three great elemental sounds in nature are the sound of rain, the sound of wind in a primeval wood, and the sound of outer ocean on a beach.” ~ Henry Beston ~
“I have always loved the sound of water. When I stand on the sandy beaches of oceans, the rhythmic rise and fall of foamy waves lapping at my feet reminds me of the power contained in the mysterious unexplored depths of our planet. When I rest on the banks of a roaring river, I am mesmerized by the rushing waters that tumble over stones as they weave towards some distant connection. When I hear a motor boat cutting through a lake, stirring up a huge wake that ripples out in rounded peaks, I feel warm and content inside. When I sit and listen to the musical twinkling sounds of water fountains, I sense an inner peace that quiets even the most persistent thoughts racing through my mind. When I hear gentle spring rain pounding rhythms on my window pane, I become mellow and romantic. “
Why do the sounds of nature have this effect of us? It’s the vibrations! All of these sounds; waves lapping, brooks babbling, and rain tapping on the window all create unique vibrations and most of us have pretty powerful associations with those vibrations. Sadly, there are people who have negative vibrations associated with these very same things. Vibrations can go either way depending on what has been previously associated, if anything.
When you’re out in nature, pay attention to which sounds you really enjoy and which ones you don’t care for as much. Just recently, many people have told me that they really don’t care for birds very much. Several cited the Alfred Hitchcock move “The Birds.” Others just said they she birds as noisy carriers of the “bird flu.” How do YOU feel about the sounds of nature that you hear? Which ones do you enjoy, which ones do you not care for?

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More research on music with colonoscopies

January 24th, 2009 · Music and Surgery

Those of you keeping up with the progress of my music for surgery invention may remember that a hospital in the NYC area has agreed to do a study on music with colonoscopies, using my headphones and my music.   In reading tonight, I came across another study on this topic that was done at Temple University in Philadelphia.  Check out this study:

Study: Music helps colonoscopy patients tune out test anxiety

While few people will rank a colonoscopy as a favorite medical procedure, one statistic argues clearly in its favor: a 90 percent cure rate in colon cancers caught at an early stage. Benjamin Krevsky, a professor of medicine at the School of Medicine and director of gastrointestinal endoscopy at Temple University Hospital, found that when patients undergoing a colonoscopy listened to music, they required less sedation. (Photo by Ryan S. Brandenberg / University Photography) Still, patients often approach the test with a mixture of dread and anxiety. Despite sedation, people fear discomfort, and often put off the appointment. To address this common problem, doctors have added an extra ingredient: music. A new study reveals that patients who plug into their favorite tunes during a colonoscopy procedure may be able to relax enough to require less sedation, without sacrificing comfort. Results of the double-blind study by doctors at Temple University in Philadelphia were presented at this year’s American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy national meeting. Their findings align with other research that has shown music reduces anxiety before surgical procedures. Such promising results have led several hospitals around the country to begin studies on how music affects health. In the colonoscopy study, researchers asked 44 female and 29 male subjects to either bring music from home or choose from a selection of available CDs. Before the procedure, ear buds were taped to all of the participants’ ears and volume set to be audible to only the patient. After the patient received his or her initial dose of medication, an investigator opened a randomized envelope to see if the music selections would be played. Following the colonoscopy, the attending doctor, fellow and nurse evaluated pain, anxiety and comfort levels for each patient. A non-participating medical provider conducted a second, later interview. Results revealed that those who listened to music required less sedation (3.8 mg of midazolam vs. 4.4 mg, and 87 mcg of fentanyl vs. 93 mcg) yet reported the same comfort levels as those receiving the higher amounts. The reductions, equal to about one less dose of medication, are considered clinically significant, according to Benjamin Krevsky, M.D., M.P.H., the lead author of the study, who is a professor of medicine at Temple University School of Medicine and director of gastrointestinal endoscopy at Temple University Hospital. “It’s true that many patients don’t like the procedure,” said Krevsky, “but many find that the preparation for the test is worse than the test itself.” Co-investigator Kevin Skole, M.D., who was a gastroenterology fellow at Temple, had the original idea for the study. Krevsky too was inspired when a dentist handed him ear buds to listen to music during a dental procedure. “Over all, colonoscopies are very, very safe,” Krevsky said. “And while the risks of sedatives are relatively small, in general, less medication is always better.” Krevsky also notes the decreased drug dose may translate into reduced healthcare costs. Most of the participants picked gospel tunes, but the type of music didn’t appear to make a difference. “Offering music makes sense,” Krevsky said. “It has no downside, it may prove beneficial, and patients appear to be satisfied with the procedure.” All of which may add up to less anxiety and more colonoscopies. By Ilene Raymond For Temple Health Sciences PR

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Plastic surgery and …criminology???

January 24th, 2009 · Surgery with Music

Plastic Surgery and criminology?

This is a different kind of post, but I thought it was interesting and I would share it with you. Enjoy! Drug Kingpin who’d had Plastic Surgery nailed by computer voice recognition! In a story that brings to mind John Woo’s “Face-off” which starred John Travola and Nic Cage as an FBI agent and drug dealer/terrorist who “switched faces” via plastic surgery comes this news off the wires. Ramirez Abadia, a leader of Colombia’s biggest drug cartel who had his features deliberately altered by plastic surgery, was identified by Brazilian and American anti-drug agents using advanced voice recognition technology. A write up can be found here from the Washington Post. U.S. intelligence agencies have used voice recognition for decades, but the technology has become much more effective in recent years through improvements in software that rapidly analyzes vocal frequency patterns, said Jim Hunter, a partner in the Merlin Risks security firm in Sao Paulo. “The way you use your voice is as individual as fingerprints,” Hunter explained. “If they have a sample of a known voice and they get an unknown sample of sufficient length, they then test the unknown against the known.” The process is more complex than fingerprinting because peoples’ voices are different when they speak normally, yell or whisper _ but the software breaks down different frequencies and uses statistical analysis to make matches Good plastic surgery should not be able to make you unrecognizable to family, friends, or intelligence agencies. How would you alter yourself to evade detection? Let’s look at Mr. Ramirez to get some ideas. If you look at the difference between the “new & improved” drug dealer on the left with some old FBI stock photos on the right & you can see some rather obvious stigmata of plastic surgery. He apparently was once a handsome man who has been altered into a vaguely humanoid thing. It looks like he’s had rhinoplasty – note the excessively narrowed upper part of the nose & I think you can see a red scar inside of the left nostril on the upper picture Face lift & neck liposuction – his face is kind of globally distorted. On the underside of the neck there appears to be a “dent” which can be from sutures or liposuction. He’s also got a very prominent chin cleft which wasn’t evident (to me) on the old blurry photos. blepharoplasty (eyelids) – he’s got a rounded eye and clear ectorpion or “scleral show” (scar contracture which pulls the lid down and shows more of the ‘white of the eye’) on his left lower lid which a not infrequent complication of lower eyelid surgery facial implants – these are made from silastic (silicone rubber). I say this because his face has assumed all these weird geometries along the cheek, chin, and jawline. Facelifts and/or fat grafting can do this to some degree, but my money’s on implants.

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Music for Emergencies

January 23rd, 2009 · Music Healing

 

Well, my mother has done it again! She loves to help other people (being a good preacher’s wife!) and even though she is well into her 80’s and legally blind from macular degeneration, these things don’t slow her down too much! The other day at Eden Terrace, her assisted living community, she said that in a 24-hour period, they had 3 or 4 fire drills; this was when the weather was sub-freezing and windy as well. On about the 4th fire drill, the residents knew that it was probably a false alarm and so the staff said they could do into the dining room to wait instead of waiting outside. Mama said that people were tired and cold and grumbling quite a bit so she suggested some favorite songs that her choir had sung in previous programs. To that they added some patriotic favorites, some old hymns, and and college songs. After about 15-20 minutes, people were in a much better mood and not so concerned about the inconvenience that the day had brought them. Maybe YOU can do this for your friends sometime?

If you ‘d like to see a video of my mother conducting her choir at Eden Terrace, click HERE

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Music at the Inauguration: Healing the Country

January 20th, 2009 · Music Healing

Music at the Inauguration: Healing the Country

What a day of beautiful and varied music this has been! I have cried tears of joy and of gratitude more times today than I have in a long, long time. I LOVED all the music that I heard today and was reminded once again that music can do as much to bring people together as anything on the planet. At the actual inaugural ceremony we heard everything from multiple trumpet fanfares to Aretha Franklin to Yo-yo Ma and Ithzak Perlman and it was all simply wonderful! The atmosphere was so electrified however that I think most any music selected would have been well-received and beautifully performed. I believe that our country, just today, began to heal in way that is desperately needed. It’s going to take years and years, but with God’s help and lots of beautiful music, it will happen!

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