Mozart effect in preschool children?

In 1993, Rauscher et al. reported a temporary increase in spatial-temporal ability after listening to Mozart's music. This led to numerous replication and extension studies with mixed findings in the past decade. This study investigated the 'Mozart effect' in preschool children. Forty-one boys and girls, aged three to five, attempted a series of pencil-and-paper maze tests after each of three listening conditions: Mozart's Piano Concerto in A Major (K488), age-appropriate popular music and silence. Overall, there were no statistically significant differences among the three interventions. The results are discussed in relation to the findings of other investigations of the Mozart effect, and the need for further investigation of possible trends.     

Methodological issues in music interventions in oncology settings: A systematic literature review

This paper is part of a systematic literature review and presents methodological issues within studies, investigating therapeutic applications of music in cancer patients. This review focuses on published international research from the USA, Canada, Australia and European countries using four electronic databases: PSYCHINFO, WEB OF SCIENCE, MEDLINE and SCIENCEDIRECT. Thirty-two papers were identified and each paper was coded in terms of sample type, basic research question, research design and methodological details, results and implications for future research. This paper addresses questions related to study design and methodology. It explores and discusses the relative advantages and disadvantages of various approaches.     

音乐疗法在婴儿吸痰中的应用研究

目的　采用音乐疗法减轻患儿吸痰时的烦躁、哭闹，减轻氧的消耗，缓解缺氧情况。方法 采用实验性研究设计，选择北京儿童医院ICU病房住院的52名需吸痰患儿为研究对象，选择背景音乐为节奏舒缓的钢琴曲。记录有与无背景音乐时吸痰前后患儿的经皮氧饱和度和心率的变化。结果 对同一患儿进行了干预前后的分析比较，有与无背景音乐下吸痰患儿经皮氧饱和度、心率有显著性差异。结论 音乐疗法对于缓解ICU吸痰患儿缺氧是一种有效干预手段。     

音乐疗法治疗慢性精神分裂症疗效分析

目的 观察音乐疗法对慢性精神分裂症的治疗效果。方法 住院慢性精神分裂症患者64例，随机分为实验组和对照组，各32例，观察8周，以BPRS、SANS量表评定疗效。结果 两组患者BPRS、SANS评分差异均有显著性意义。结论 音乐疗法对慢性精神分裂症病人的康复治疗有一定疗效。     

The music of speech: music training facilitates pitch processing in both music and language

The main aim of the present experiment was to determine whether extensive musical training facilitates pitch contour processing not only in music but also in language. We used a parametric manipulation of final notes' or words' fundamental frequency (F0), and we recorded behavioral and electrophysiological data to examine the precise time course of pitch processing. We compared professional musicians and nonmusicians. Results revealed that within both domains, musicians detected weak F0 manipulations better than nonmusicians. Moreover, F0 manipulations within both music and language elicited similar variations in brain electrical potentials, with overall shorter onset latency for musicians than for nonmusicians. Finally, the scalp distribution of an early negativity in the linguistic task varied with musical expertise, being largest over temporal sites bilaterally for musicians and largest centrally and over left temporal sites for nonmusicians. These results are taken as evidence that extensive musical training influences the perception of pitch contour in spoken language.     

主、被动音乐治疗对慢性精神分裂症疗效分析

目的　观察主、被动音乐治疗对慢性精神分裂症治疗效果。方法　慢性精神分裂症 72例 ,随机分为主、被动音乐治疗组 ,各 3 6例 ,观察 8周。以 BPRS、SANS量表评定疗效。结果　两组患者 BPRS、SANS量表评分差异均有显著性意义。结论　对慢性精神分裂症的康复治疗主动性音乐治疗优于被动性音乐治疗。     

The “Mozart Effect”: An Electroencephalographic Analysis Employing the Methods of Induced Event-Related Desynchronization/Synchronization and Event-Related Coherence

The event-related responses of 18 individuals were recorded while they were listening to 3 music clips of 6 s duration which were repeated 30 times each. The music clips differed in the level of their complex structure, induced mood, musical tempo and prominent frequency. They were taken from Mozart's sonata (K. 448), and Brahms' Hungarian dance (no. 5). The third clip was a simplified version of the theme taken from Haydn's symphony (no. 94) played by a computer synthesizer. Significant differences in induced event-related desynchronization between the 3 music clips were only observed in the lower-1 alpha band which is related to attentional processes. A similar pattern was observed for the coherence measures. While respondents listened to the Mozart clip, coherence in the lower alpha bands increased more, whereas in the gamma band a less pronounced increase was observed as compared with the Brahms and Haydn clips. The clustering of the three clips based on EEG measures distinguished between the Mozart clip on the one hand, and the Haydn and Brahms clips on the other, even though the Haydn and Brahms clips were at the opposite extremes with regard to the mood they induced in listeners, musical tempo, and complexity of structure. This would suggest that Mozart's music--with no regard to the level of induced mood, musical tempo and complexity--influences the level of arousal. It seems that modulations in the frequency domain of Mozart's sonata have the greatest influence on the reported neurophysiological activity.     

人工耳蜗植入者音乐感知能力的初步研究

目的　建立测试人工耳蜗植入者音乐感知能力的体系 ,研究语后聋成人和语前聋儿童人工耳蜗植入后对音乐感知的能力。方法　构建测试用的标准钢琴音调和乐曲测试素材库 ,运用该素材库在CakewalkPro 8.0平台上进行音调和乐曲的感知能力测试 ,测试对象包括已植入多导人工耳蜗的 2名语后聋成人、8名语前聋儿童和各自的正常对照组。结果　建立了一个可用于人工耳蜗植入者音乐感知能力测试的系统。音调差异感知阈 (df/f)在植入人工耳蜗的语后聋成人和语前聋儿童分别为 7.78%± 6 .6 3%和 14 .4 9%± 11.2 0 % ,与各自正常人对照组比较有显著性差异 ;但两组间无显著性差异。植入人工耳蜗的语后聋成人在熟悉乐曲测试中 ,对正确乐曲的感知差异度为 - 2 .75± 0 .35 (半音 ) ,离散度为 1.5 0± 0 .71(半音 ) ,都与正常成人有显著性差异。结论　运用数字音乐技术和MIDI软件建立的这一测试系统能够方便的测试人工耳蜗植入者的音乐感知能力。人工耳蜗植入者音乐感知能力不及正常人     

Effects of prenatal music stimulation on fetal cardiac state,newborn anthropometric measurements and vital signs of pregnant women: A randomized controlled trial

BackgroundMusic has been used for medicinal purposes throughout history due to its variety of physiological, psychological and social effects.ObjectiveTo identify the effects of prenatal music stimulation on the vital signs of pregnant women at full term, on the modification of fetal cardiac status during a fetal monitoring cardiotocograph, and on anthropometric measurements of newborns taken after birth.Material and methodA randomized controlled trial was implemented. The four hundred and nine pregnant women coming for routine prenatal care were randomized in the third trimester to receive either music (n = 204) or no music (n = 205) during a fetal monitoring cardiotocograph. All of the pregnant women were evaluated by measuring fetal cardiac status (basal fetal heart rate and fetal reactivity), vital signs before and after a fetal monitoring cardiotocograph (maternal heart rate and systolic and diastolic blood pressure), and anthropometric measurements of the newborns were taken after birth (weight, height, head circumference and chest circumference).ResultsThe strip charts showed a significantly increased basal fetal heart rate and higher fetal reactivity, with accelerations of fetal heart rate in pregnant women with music stimulation. After the fetal monitoring cardiotocograph, a statistically significant decrease in systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure and heart rate in women receiving music stimulation was observed.ConclusionMusic can be used as a tool which improves the vital signs of pregnant women during the third trimester, and can influence the fetus by increasing fetal heart rate and fetal reactivity.