Melodic intonation therapy: shared insights on how it is done and why it might help.

Full Abstract

For more than 100 years, clinicians have noted that patients with nonfluent aphasia are capable of singing words that they cannot speak. Thus, the use of melody and rhythm has long been recommended for improving aphasic patients' fluency, but it was not until 1973 that a music-based treatment [Melodic Intonation Therapy (MIT)] was developed. Our ongoing investigation of MIT's efficacy has provided valuable insight into this therapy's effect on language recovery. Here we share those observations, our additions to the protocol that aim to enhance MIT's benefit, and the rationale that supports them.

Author information

Author/s: Norton, Andrea (A); Zipse, Lauryn (L); Marchina, Sarah (S); Schlaug, Gottfried (G);

Affiliation: Music, Stroke Recovery, and Neuroimaging Laboratory, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center/Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA.

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article; Review

Journal: Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences (Ann N Y Acad Sci), published in United States. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2009-Jul; vol 1169 (issue ) : pp 431-6

Dates: Created 2009/08/13; Completed 2009/09/10;

PMID: 19673819, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 9/10/2009, IMS Date: )

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

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