Epilepsy Talk
Music, Sound and Seizures | August 17, 2014
Everyone knows that listening to music can be calming — a steady rain storm can induce sleep — and white noise can help keep focus at bay.
But sound therapy has a long history and is being used as a successful form of therapy in many conditions.
Music is known to be a powerful stimulus for whole brain integration.
So, it would make sense that the use of sound would support brain development.
Classical music in particular, builds and integrates the neural network by activating numerous brain centers all at the same time.
This is due to the rich combination of complex melody, rhythm and harmony used in Western classical music.
When several brain centers are activated together, we enhance the connections between all of these centers, enabling our different thought processes to work in harmony.
“Sound Therapy” has been used to treat conditions such as depression, epilepsy, strokes, dementia, schizophrenia, and injury with brain damage.
With disorders like these and trauma from injury, the brain needs to find a new way to receive information. “Sound Therapy” helps create these new brainwaves.
In the case of a stroke or brain damage, music may increase the probability of a faster and more total recovery, by developing new brain connections and increasing the neural network, which is exactly what is needed to recover from a stroke.
And by stimulating the brain in a specific way, the result may be better connections, more efficient functioning of neuro-transmitters and calmer, more coordinated overall brain function and integration.
Some epilepsy sufferers have reported that by listening to sound, their seizures are reduced or eliminated as well as improving memory, alertness, concentration, co-ordination, confidence and general functioning.
“I have epilepsy and the medication I take was not completely controlling it. I had an almost constant ‘electric’ feeling in my head, and looked out at the world through what seemed like a net curtain, or fog. I was constantly on edge, slept badly, felt exhausted, had difficulty reading and communicating. The simplest tasks had become complicated for me.
From the start I listened to the Sound Therapy tapes 10-12 hours a day and found it very soothing. Before I started listening to the tapes my day consisted of about 2 hours of activity in the morning and the rest of the day mainly resting and unable to communicate.
By the end of the first three months of listening my day had improved to the extent that I could be active most of the time except for a couple of hours resting in the afternoon. The headaches, pressure in my head and confusion, gradually lessened.
After about 6 weeks of listening, I visited my neurologist. He was pleased with my progress and said to carry on with what I was doing.
The next visit 6 months later he couldn’t get over how my walking and posture had improved, and I later left the Sound Therapy book with him.
On my next visit about 8 months later, he again could see my improvement and was very pleased, and had enjoyed reading the book, as he had an interest in how music can help with restoring memory etc.
Today, after about 15 months of listening, what a change! I have my enjoyment and enthusiasm for life back.
I have tried many alternative remedies over the years as I have had a number of health issues.
I have a heart problem which has culminated in me having a pace-maker fitted, chronic fatigue syndrome, fybromyalgia and of course the epilepsy.
I still carry on with acupuncture treatment, homeopathic drops, and magnetic therapy, plus nutritional supplements and have a good diet, all of which have helped me and continue to do so.
I was doing this all before I started on the Sound Therapy, but what I found with the Sound Therapy was it seemed to enhance all the other things I was doing.”
In conclusion Sound Therapy has improved my:
Energy levels, co-ordination, memory, concentration, communication – both written and oral — sleeping pattern, and general quality of life,
“In short, Sound Therapy has given me my quality of life back.”
Hilary Peart — Perth, Australia
Note: “Sound Therapy” is a unique listening system using new knowledge about the brain. Specially recorded programs of highly filtered classical music are used to rehabilitate the ear and stimulate the brain.
It is now available as a portable self-help program that can be used by anyone, anywhere.
However, consult your doctor first.
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Resources:
http://www.soundtherapyinternational.com/v3/brain-conditions/epilepsy.html
http://www.soundtherapyinternational.com/for_the_brain_brain_disorders.htm
http://www.soundtherapyperth.com/benefits/neuro.php#epilepsy
http://soundtherapy.com.au/how-it-helps/brain-performance/epilepsy/
http://www.sound-therapy-solution.com/english/pathologies/brain_connections.htm
http://www.wholesomeone.com/article/5-quick-facts-about-sound-therapy
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Great Article Phylis,
It describes my sentiments exactly. I’ve found a new frontier that i never really ventured into before and that is classical music. Piano type music is what i like to listen to the best. Whether it’s Beethoven or Debussy, there are so many musical songs that are so great and that I’ve never heard of before. I don’t have a tv, so listen to classical music a lot. Youtube has so many that can be played for hours and hours on end. So for me, it’s a large part of my life, Classical music, so much that i’ve learned to play the piano. Beginning of last year, got a nice keyboard and now i can play Fur Elise and Moonlight sonata mov1 without any problems, from memory. My next song to learn will be one of Debussy that i will try. It’s a long process to learn a song, but basically, one needs to learn one note at a time and just keep adding notes till something sounds good, when you play. Learning one measure at a time then putting them together. When all is learned, it’s impressive to know that you were able to do it, put the whole song together. It’s a lot of fun and some mental work involved. Learning those 2 songs took a while, since i work full time, and only practice at my leisure time, which is not as much as i would like since during does times, i like to do other things as well. Just need to put ones mind to it.
Outcome, of my learning to play the piano and listening to classical music, well my seizures have gone from one per month to one every 1.5 months. This year i’ve had only 5 seizures and it’s already the 8th month. But i think that is part of the medicine, gabapentin that is doing it. Lamotrigine the drug i took before gabapentin also did the same thing, so it might be more drug related then to music. But over all i love beautiful music and for me that new frontier, classical music, i’m finding endless new songs that i’ve never heard that are really beautifull. I found on some songs, the first time one hears them, it’s like ok, it didn’t do anything for me, but then after the second or 3rd time, it sounds more and more beautiful.
Learning is the one thing that can keep a person from not being bored and learning the piano for me has been great fun.
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Comment by Zolt — August 18, 2014 @ 3:22 PM
Learning is what keeps the mind active for sure. Which means memory and a whole lot more.
I’m not so sure it’s the drugs. It’s more a matter of being pro-active and training your brain to a new challenge, as you say.
One research study found that when people are treated with music therapy as well as conventional anti-seizure meds, as many as eighty percent of seizures were reduced by seventy five percent!
And here’s a wonderful factoid: when the brain is subjected to music that is highly structured, such as Mozart’s Sonata for Two Piano’s, the brain process is actually aided. In fact, research has suggested that Mozart’s K448 piano concerto can actually reduce the number of seizures!
Interestly, music played at a moderate or moderately fast tempo, without too many abrupt changes in dynamics (loud and soft) can aid in normalizing EEGs. That’s because it helps us to relax and ease tension, equalizing the brain waves. (Look for Concertos, Sonatas and Symphonies.)
Relaxing music such as Mozart, Baroque and Classical, can help to steady your conscious awareness and increase your mental organization.
NOTE: For best results, do not listen or play music for more than three hours at one time. If you find that you’ve had more than three hours of music, turn it off and take a break.
The brain responds to variety and too much of any one stimulus produces a kind of fatigue and even irritation.
In the interim, celebrate your new-found talent.
Congratulations Zolt. I’m so proud and impressed.
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Comment by Phylis Feiner Johnson — August 19, 2014 @ 8:28 PM
My question: can the music be absorbed while sleeping? e.g. by the use of headphones.
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Comment by dave sanchez — November 2, 2017 @ 7:26 PM
“Studies have shown that listening to music while trying to fall asleep could be used as an alternative treatment for those who may suffer from PTSD and insomnia.
Another study showed that classical music improved the quality of sleep in those who suffered from various sleep problems.
On the flip side, some researchers suggest that falling asleep to music has been known to cause an increase in heart rate resulting in wakefulness.
In the end, it just depends on the person listening to it and whether they are use to those sounds or not.
https://www.thesleepjudge.com/is-it-bad-to-fall-asleep-to-music/
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Comment by Phylis Feiner Johnson — November 2, 2017 @ 7:35 PM