The “Mozart Effect” on Epileptiform Activity

Abstract

The "Mozart Effect," using the Piano Sonata in D Major (K.448), was examined in patients with seizures. In 23 of 29 instances significant decreases in epileptiform activity were noted from patients even in coma, with status epilepticus or with periodic lateralized epileptiform discharges (PLEDs). The effect may be immediate or require 40-300 sec to manifest itself. The change in the amount of ictal activity in one patient in coma was from 62% before the music to 21% during Mozart. Amplitudes of these discharges also have often decreased. Examples of PLEDs on both temporal areas are shown in which the effect was only on the left temporal area but in other patients only on the right temporal area. Brain maps during the music showed theta and alpha activity decreased on the central areas, while delta waves increased on the frontal midline area. The basis of this effect is likely that the superorganization of the cerebral cortex with its highly structured radial columns seen throughout both hemispheres may resonate with the superior architecture of Mozart's music.

The Mozart Effect

“…Johann Sebastian Bach, the father, and son Johann Christian Bach, Mozart's friend, also showed high pe- riodicity scores (Table 2) and with some expectation since they had influences on each other. If these periodic changes do represent a distinctive feature contributing to the Mozart Effect as seen in Sections I and II on epilepsy (7,29), this long-term periodicity should not be evident in our two control musical selections that had no effect on our epilepsy patients. These controls did not show such periodicity (see Table 4, (5) cadences, and (6) swings, followed by the reversal of (1)- (6).…”

Exposure to Mozart music reduces cognitive impairment in pilocarpine-induced status epilepticus rats

“…Nevertheless, relevant studies were primarily focused on the suppression of seizure activities through music intervention. And music effect in epilepsy intervention was confined only to the period during which the music was playing (Hughes et al 1998). But whether appropriate music exposure can improve cognitive function in epileptic patients, and the possibility of long-term music exposure to cognitive improvement, still remain unclear.…”

Uso de intervenção musical em pacientes internados em unidade de terapia intensiva: estudo piloto

“…Alguns autores afirmam que devemos considerar a preferência musical do paciente para a intervenção, alertando sobre os benefícios e a possibilidade da ocorrência de desconfortos devido às antipatias com estilos de música e gosto individual 6 , porém, a escolha das três obras justificou-se por tratarem-se de obras importantes, por constituírem composições de alto teor artístico e no caso da primeira, por já ter sido empregada em outros estudos científicos. 17 Quanto à temperatura corporal as médias observadas nos dois grupos de pacientes praticamente não apresentaram alterações e não houve alterações significativas entre as medidas. Resultados semelhantes foram encontrados em outro estudo, o qual também evidenciou que as alterações apresentadas não eram estatisticamente significantes na temperatura corporal.…”