Art of Music, as Harmony of the Spheres and Autism Spectrum Disorder

Abstract

Music has the innate potential to reach all parts of the brain, stimulates certain brain areas which are not achievable through other modalities. Music Therapy (MT) is being used for more than a century to treat individuals who needs personalized care. MT optimizes motor, speech and language responsibilities of the brain and improves cognitive performance. Pervasive developmentdisorder (PDD) is a multifaceted, neuro developmental disorder and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) comes under PDD, which is defined by deficiencies in three principal spheres: social connection with others, communicative and normal movement skills. The conventional imaging studies illustrate reduced brain area connectivity in people with ASD, involving selected parts of the brain cortex. People with ASD express much interest in musical activities which engages the brain network areas and improves communication and social skills.The main objective of this review is to analyze the potential role of MT in treating the neurological conditions, particularly ASD. Evidence based studies have reported the extensive therapeutic application of music on various part of the brain in a nonverbal child with autism through hearing or making music.Hence we hypothesized that MT intervention can improve the communication capacity in people with ASD, than customary neurorestoration therapy alone.

Oral hygiene practice and dental status of autistic children

“…The overall estimated ASD prevalence for Asian/Pacific Islander children was 13.5 per 1,000. 5 The population with (ASD) presents with similar health problems as that of the typical population, but due to factors including poor dietary preferences; behaviors and specific aversions, this population is at a greater risk and more susceptible to developing chronic non-communicable oral health conditions. The increasing prevalence of ASD coupled with this population being highlighted as one those with the greatest disease *Correspondence: Dr. Gazi Shamim Hassan, Department of Orthodontics, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University, Dhaka, Bangladesh; e-mail: drgazishamim@yahoo.com, ORCID: 0000-0001- burden, has ignited an interest in their oral health concerns, which coincides with one of the global oral health goals to promote oral health within this population group.…”

“…Individuals with special needs may have great limitations in oral hygiene performance due to their potential motor, sensory, and intellectual disabilities. [5][6][7][8] Such conditions may make the affected children more prone to oral diseases and complicate their dental care. 8 These children also commonly have damaging oral habits such as bruxism, tongue thrusting, picking at the gingiva, and lip biting.…”