The healing influence of music has been discussed and proven for a long time. Today, research carried out in the field of music therapy demonstrates the benefits obtained using new measuring instruments or new discoveries in neuroscience. Researchers primarily focus on quantifying changes in individual behaviors, demonstrating that music therapy is an influential intervention for a variety of clients and a variety of disorders. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why violent video games should not be banned”?Get the original essayAccording to Professor Elisabeth Stegemuller, neuroplasticity is “the ability of the brain to change throughout a person's life in due to sensory input, motor action, reward or awareness. »[1] This occurs in the human brain at many levels, from an individual neuron to a network of neurons or an entire region of the brain. Therefore, neuroplasticity encompasses changes ranging from individual synapses to entire cortical networks. It is known that the relative weight connections between neurons in the network could be modified (e.g., some connections are stronger than others). It is also known that an entire region of networks in the brain could be reorganized to respond to an entirely new set of stimuli. However, neuroplasticity not only refers to the emergence of new neural connections, but also the pruning of existing ones. This is similar to music where the relative relationship between sound and its absence (complete silence) determines the overall perception and response to the music. Therefore, in neuroplasticity, the connectivity and lack of connectivity of neurons, networks and regions determine the perception and response to stimuli. Human behavior is not controlled by a single neuron, but rather by networks of neurons that often have the same function. The strength of connections between a neural network, as well as the level of excitability and inhibition, can also change. Information about what is happening at the level of an individual neuron is provided by synaptic plasticity. Synaptic plasticity is the process by which synapses strengthen or weaken over time. It depends on the level of activity existing at the synapse. A synapse is a point at which a neuronal signal is transmitted from one neuron to another neuron. Neuroplasticity is not the same throughout life. There is a time when changes in the brain are mainly due to the formation of new connections. From birth until around age 2 or 3, millions of new connections between neurons are made. Little or no pruning is done. It is important to note that during this period the number of connections increases, but not the number of neurons. It is during this period that children “soak up” the environment, the world around them. It is crucial that children are exposed to appropriate stimuli during this period (called the “critical period” to emphasize its importance), because these experiences determine the neural structure of future plasticity. Research has shown that abnormal experience of any kind in humans can lead to abnormal brain circuit patterns that cannot be overcome later in life. Likewise, persistent hearing deprivation and visual impairment during the critical period may lead to language deficits or visual problems that are not overcome later in life. Although the changes described in the research are extreme, it is assumed that similar mechanismsoccur in other neural systems. Between approximately 3 and 6 years of age, the brain continues to make new connections, but there is now an increase in pruning. However, there are still many more new connections than pruning. Around adolescence, the delays between establishing new connections and pruning become balanced and it is not until the early twenties that the brain is completely “programmed” for lifespan. In fact, different regions of the brain develop in different domes until the early 20s, with the motor and sensory areas being among the first regions to develop and the frontal cortex being the last to develop. Fortunately, even though the brain is “hardwired” by the early 20s, neuroplasticity at all levels persists until death. It is therefore of great importance for music therapists to understand that the brain is constantly evolving and that we have unique instruments to create a positive brain. changes throughout life, from birth to death. Brain reward circuitry. The goal of music therapy is to determine changes in a patient, whether behavioral or emotional. These changes are supported by changes occurring in the brain. According to Professor Stegemuller, three principles of neuroplasticity could explain how music therapy works. The first is the brain's reward circuitry. Numerous studies based on research carried out in neurology have proven that dopamine is a primary neurotransmitter involved in neuroplasticity. It has been shown to be involved in motivation and reward-seeking behaviors, working memory, and reinforcement learning. If previously it was known that dopamine was induced by certain foods or certain drugs, recent neuroimaging studies have shown that pleasant music also activates these reward networks. [1,2] This suggests that listening to music stimulates the same neural network involved in reinforcement learning and reward. Additionally, these regions have been shown to have a close connection to cognitive subsystems, including the orbito-frontal cortex, the area responsible for encoding temporal aspects of memory and emotional prosodic processing. Although the results of these studies are primarily limited to listening to pleasant music, they also demonstrate the potential of music in general when applied therapeutically to facilitate neuroplasticity. The second principle of neuroplasticity is the Hebbian theory summarized by neuroscientist S. Luwel in two sentences: “neurons that fire together, connect together”. [4] This means that, to establish a new connection or strengthen an existing connection, two neurons must fire action potentials synchronously. Numerous studies have shown that rhythm connects human behaviors to different external stimuli inducing synchronization in neural networks. support behaviors. Activities such as dancing, singing, or simple deep breathing exercises change the heart rate. In other words, the brain's automatic nervous system is responsible for the regulatory processes that support human life, depending on a certain rhythm such as sleep, heart rate and breathing. Rhythm is an inherent property of music that often leads to entrainment. , defined as “two oscillating agents which adopt a common phase and period.[5] Research has demonstrated that movement, vocalization, breathing and heart rate can be trained by music. However, what is perhaps moreImportant in music therapy is that neuronal populations can also be entrained by sensory stimulation. While most of the literature regarding training and brain plasticity suggests that training produces an effect on attentional resources, the neural mechanism underlying this effect remains underexplored. The general opinion of specialists is that the Hebbian principle can indeed provide a reasonable theory for neuroplasticity with music therapy. . As noted above, music therapists associate non-musical tasks and behaviors with music. Often the non-musical function is associated with rhythm. Thus, if a non-musical function is driven by music, then we can infer that music synchronizes neuronal populations involved not only in areas of the brain involved in music perception, but also in areas involved in control. non-musical functions. -musical behavior. The role of a music therapist should be to pay attention to increasing "the simultaneous activation of neurons in areas of the brain involved in controlling these behaviors, thereby strengthening neuronal connectivity and leading to faster and more permanent changes in their behavior." patients”.The principle says that the structure of music is based on acoustic elements, which could therefore explain the differences in the impact of noise and music on neuroplasticity. Music is considered the opposite of noise. It’s calm and harmony versus disruption. Music is seen as a large number of sounds arranged more or less harmonically, sounds are continuous and regular vibrations. What heals in music therapy is the resonance given by these vibrations. Noise is considered to belong to a certain frequency spectrum (the energy or power per frequency interval). Researchers found evidence of the effect given by noise. They briefly describe the difference between pink noise and white noise as follows. Pink noise (frequency 1/f) is the frequency that carries an equal amount of sound energy. It is considered the most relaxing frequency, widely distributed in nature (e.g. the sound of the sea). is created by a range of evenly distributed frequencies, used to increase sensitivity to regular surrounding sounds or to drown out background noise. Recent studies have shown that noise can negatively affect neuroplasticity. Exposure to noise can increase stress, which is mediated by the limbic system. the area of ​​the brain that controls emotions. As follows, increased stress affects both cognition and memory. Additionally, chronic noise exposure during development can have serious consequences on the auditory system, hippocampus, and limbic system after noise exposure. prenatal may lead to decreased memory function and anxiety in adulthood in animal models. In contrast, exposure to music revealed opposite effects. As proven in music therapy, long-term exposure to music leads to improvements in spatial learning and better learning performance.[8] This suggests that exposure to music promotes neuroplasticity while noise suppresses neuroplasticity. Yet, what type of musical cue is best for a developing brain? This is a difficult question to answer. Expanding the results of studies on musical complexity and its impact on music therapy, we say that less complex musical stimuli may be better than more complex musical stimuli given that more complex musical stimuli.