Activate Your Brain

Brain disorders how they can be helped

Evidence gathered about Sound Therapy indicates that it may assist with many specific, congenital or degenerative neurological disorders. While there is not structured clinical research on all of these conditions, case histories have been gathered which at least offer hope that those with these conditions may get some relief. Sound Therapy may be an effective non-pharmaceutical treatment for a range of hard to treat neurological disorders.

Depression

Depression is now known to be related to a lack of dopamine or serotonin, neurotransmitters which create a sense of upliftment and happiness. Another way of looking at it is that depression is a lowered energy state where neurological responses become sluggish and the persons life force is diminished. Sound Therapy may help to support those suffering from depression by bombarding the ear and brain with mega doses of high frequency sounds, or high energy vibrations, which may help to lift the listener's state of vitality. It is possible that Sound Therapy may stimulate the brain to begin producing some of the neurotransmitters that create positive emotional states. It is common for Sound Therapy listeners to report greater states of wellbeing, happiness, and an end to depressed feelings.

The specific stimulation of the left brain may be an important part of the therapeutic impact on depression. Research on the effects of meditation has shown that prolonged practice of meditation stimulates certain centres in the left brain that stimulate feelings of happiness and peace. Sound Therapy's direct stimulation of the left brain through the increased sound input to the right ear may have a similar effect.

In research specifically on Tomatis Sound Therapy, a long term study over 14 months ( Du Plesis , 1982) with subjects carefully selected from a survey of 424 people showed improved mental health and self actualization for both 10 anxious and 10 non-anxious people as compared to a control group.

Information Sheet on how Sound Therapy can assist with Depression and Anxiety

Epilepsy

Epilepsy is a condition where a person has intermittent paroxysmal attacks of disordered brain function usually causing a loss of awareness or consciousness and sometimes convulsions. In some cases epilepsy can be controlled by drugs but these may have undesirable side effects. There have been several accounts of epilepsy sufferers befitting from Sound Therapy. Sound Therapy stimulates the brain in a specific way which may lead to better connections, more efficient functioning of neurotransmitters, calmer and more coordinated overall brain function and integration. People with epilepsy will benefit from long term Sound Therapy treatment. For some epilepsy sufferers Sound Therapy has been found to reduce or eliminate seizures, improve memory, alertness, concentration, co-ordination, confidence and general functioning. It is advisable that a person with epilepsy should be monitored by their doctor when undertaking Sound Therapy.

Stroke or brain damage

After a stroke or brain damage caused by injury there is always a chance of recovery to varying degrees. Sound Therapy is an intervention which may increase the probability of a faster and more total recovery. The sooner it is introduced after the injury or stroke, the greater the likelihood of healing. Some stroke patients who use Sound Therapy have been seen to make an unexpectedly quick recovery, often with functioning returned to a surprisingly high level.

After stroke or brain damage the brain is faced with having to develop new pathways or reroute information to compensate for the damaged area. Sound Therapy may be effective in helping to create new brain pathways and reforming essential connections between more distant parts of the brain. The complex, multilayered harmonic and melodic information within the classical music stimulates many parts of the brain, helping to engender a form and structure which assists with various forms of sensory processing.

Sound Therapy may improve integration in the cerebellum, an area near the brain stem which controls many automatic functions and overall sensory and motor integration. The filtering which causes sudden bursts of high frequency sound may stimulate increased firing of neurons. When a neuron fires, it sends a message to other neurons in both chemical and electrical form. Often the process of firing off a message also creates new interneuronal connections called dendrites or axons. This means that using Sound Therapy may build new brain connections, increasing the neural network, exactly what is needed to recover from a stroke.

Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is thought to be related to irregular levels of dopamine. Too much dopamine is associated with hallucinations and paranoia, while too little dopamine in the frontal lobes is linked to depression and the negative symptoms of schizophrenia. Several areas of the brain are involved in the production of dopamine, and many varied disorders are related to its irregularity. Sound Therapy may assist in regulating the production of dopamine and other neurotransmitters, which would account in part for its positive effect on many mood related disorders. While no controlled studies have been done on Sound Therapy for schizophrenia, individual reports have indicated that it could have very beneficial effects in some cases.

Dementia

Dementia is the loss of memory, attention and cognitive ability due to progressive brain damage or deterioration, usually associated with aging. Dementia may be caused by a series of small strokes, or it may be caused by Alzheimer's, a degenerative condition where brain tissue progressively withers and shrinks. Much can be achieved in treating (or preventing) dementia with improved nutrition, reduced chemical toxins and vitamin and mineral supplementation. In addition, Sound Therapy may be very helpful by directly stimulating brain function at a vibrational level. Sound Therapy is extensively used by older people undergoing various forms of health crises or degeneration. It may bring solace and comfort, a sense of inner calm, deeper sleep, and often better mental balance, awareness and focus. In early stages of dementia Sound Therapy can be introduced with ease, to be worn during the day or at night while sleeping. It will generally be welcomed by the patient and may give them an immediate sense of relief and inner connection and balance. Carers and family of certain dementia patients have observed that the patient becomes happier, more co-operative, more aware, and more like their old self. Sound Therapy may delay the progress of dementia and make life more pleasant and manageable for both the patient and their carers.

Information Sheet on how Sound Therapy can assist with Memory and Brain

Buy Sound Therapy: Music to Recharge your Brain Book

What you need to get started with Sound Therapy

Other neurological disorders

MS, Parkinsons, neuralgia, chronic pain, phantom pain, and paralysis.

Return to top