Neurologists in SAN have analyzed the relationship between music and
brain: First music as an effective treatment, and second those
illnesses coming from music. Benefits include reductions of anxiety
and hostility levels, inducement to sleep, improvement in children’s
behavior and an important contribution in the prevention of states of
agitation.
However Dr. Jesús Acosta, from Hospital Universitario Puerta del Mar,
in Cádiz (Spain), noticed negative effects and origin of several
disorders. For instance, musicians usually suffer from joint and
cervical injuries, and also loss of hearing. In the specific case of
flamenco singers, they usually suffered dysphonia due finally to the
particular use of their voice.
The same way, musician’s behavior can suddenly turn into anxiety and
stress when the performance is coming to be, and depression can appear
when things go wrong. Drugs and excessive use of medicines are also
used to find external encouragement.
Dr. Acosta also talked about ‘amusia’ cases, a disorder which makes
people not having feeling for music, the opposite to autistics, able
to understand musical sounds but not words. He also mentioned some
great musicians who suffered severe cerebral disorders but composed
masterpieces.
Some examples can be Ravel’s aphasia (inability to talk), Schumman’s
hearing hallucinations consequence from his psychosis and
schizophrenia (considered the origin of some of his scores), or
Falla’s dermatitis because of his craze of washing his hands thousand
times every day.
[ For further information about Dystonias and other movement
disorders, please visit http://webs.ono.com/distoweb ]