A Complex Combination Therapy for a Complex Disease–Neuroimaging Evidence for the Effect of Music Therapy in Schizophrenia

Abstract

Schizophrenia is a disease characterized by clinical polymorphism: a combination of diverse syndromes defined by differences in structure, course and outcome. The etiology and pathogenesis of this mental disorder is still not completely understood, in spite of the achievements in the fields of neuroscience, genetics, neuroimaging and others. Different treatment strategies have been developed for patients with schizophrenia, but the search for new pharmacological agents continues with the mission of achieving a more effective control over the disease manifestations (positive and negative symptoms), improvement of the patients' social functioning and quality of life. The accumulated clinical experience has revealed that drug treatment and the inclusion in various rehabilitation programs and social skills training shows promising results in these patients. In recent years a plethora of evidence has been compiled regarding the role of music therapy as a possible alternative in the combination treatment of patients with mental disorders, schizophrenia included. Thus, the purpose of this review is to present the reader with a more detailed and science-based account of the beneficial effect of music therapy on the general wellbeing of patients diagnosed with schizophrenia. To fulfill our goal, we will focus mainly on the evidence provided by modern neuroimaging research.

Effectiveness of Classical Music Therapy on Decreasing the Level of Auditory Hallucinations in Schizophrenia Patients: A Literature Review

“…This effect was observed in the insula, cingulate cortex, prefrontal cortex, hippocampus, amygdala, and hypothalamus. In addition, music can evoke changes in the levels of essential neuromodulators such as dopamine, endorphins, endogenous cannabinoids, and nitric oxide [10].…”

“…Patients usually listen to sounds that call them or tell them to do something, so patients who experience auditory hallucinations are often angry, screaming, scared, confused, looking restless, and uneasy [2,5]. Classical music therapy is a relaxation technique and is appropriate for schizophrenia patients who experience auditory hallucinations and can feel calm, decrease aggressive symptoms, control emotions and spiritual development, and help heal psychological disorders [10,18,19]. Music therapy has a calming effect on the patient [19].…”

“…Thus, there will be benefits for a patient's mental, emotional, physiological, and social well-being. In addition, music will also suppress anxiety, stress, depression, and hallucinatory symptoms, including auditory hallucinations, and make the patient comfortable and calm [10,19,23]…”

“…Music stimulation can increase activity in brain structures usually associated with the brain's affective circuits. This effect was observed in the insula, cingulate cortex, prefrontal cortex, hippocampus, amygdala, and hypothalamus [10]. Music positively affects various aspects of human life, such as physiological functioning, quality of life, and psychosocial functioning, and music therapy is recognized to reduce the symptoms of several disorders, such as schizophrenia and chronic psychosis [11].…”

Five-week music therapy improves overall symptoms in schizophrenia by modulating theta and gamma oscillations

“…Cognitive remediation ( 5 , 6 ), physical exercise ( 7 ), and music therapy ( 8 ) have been widely chosen. Music therapy has attracted much attention because of its unique and fun nature, and studies using it to improve clinical symptoms in schizophrenic patients have been reported many times ( 9 , 10 ).…”