The research group on Cognition and Brain Plasticity of the Biomedical Research Institute of Bellvitge (IDIBELL) and the University of Barcelona (UB) is conducting a study to find out the effectiveness of a new music therapy in the recovery of the mobility of upper extremities (hand or arm) in people who have suffered a stroke (stroke or ictus: cerebral vascular accident).

The study is based on the assumption that music activates parts of the brain governing the body’s motor activity. The research is tackled from a multidisciplinary perspective which includes techniques of neurology, neuropsychology, musicology and cognitive neuroscience.

The project does research into how the sensory and motor system of the brain is reorganized when patients learn to play a musical instrument (piano and electronic pad) and if this activity will restore mobility in affected persons. Researchers compare the effectiveness of the new musical treatment with the one of conventional therapies for neurorehabilitation.

Researchers hope to learn more about the physiological mechanisms produced by music therapy, which could enable the development of new rehabilitation techniques for patients who have suffered a cerebral vascular accident.

The project is funded by TV3 Marathon and has the participation of researchers from the University of Magdeburg (Germany) and the Neurology Service of Bellvitge University Hospital.