In addition to this fundamental research, a key part of our activity is applied research on the effects of music hobbies, interventions, and technology as tools to support healthy ageing and rehabilitation and care of persons with age-related neurological illnesses, including stroke, traumatic brain injury, and dementia.
In the Centre of Excellence six research groups from the University of Helsinki and the University of Jyväskylä investigate music as a multimodal human experience and as a versatile engine of change, throughout the life span and in health and disease. MMBB includes a total of 12 research projects and Music, Ageing and Rehabilitation Team is responsible for implementing two of them. The first project focuses on exploring and comparing the benefits of traditional music therapy and novel digital music rehabilitation in memory disorders. The purpose of the second project is to determine whether novel multimodal music-based telerehabilitation programme can enhance cognitive, motor, and verbal functioning and emotional well-being in stroke patients and what is the neural basis of its efficacy.
Music provides a valuable and effective tool for supporting emotional, social, and cognitive functioning in dementia. With the rapid ageing of the population and strongly increasing prevalence of dementia, there is an urgent need for new music-based care and rehabilitation methods for dementia, which are more easily and broadly applicable for example utilizing digital technology. Also more research is needed on how music interventions work in different stages of dementia and which mechanisms govern their clinical efficacy.
The purpose of this study is to determine whether group-based music therapy and digital music rehabilitation can support cognitive, emotional, and social functioning in dementia, do their beneficial effects differ in different stages of dementia severity, and how various psychological and neural factors influence their efficacy.
In this randomized controlled trial (RCT), we recruit persons with dementia from the Helsinki metropolitan area who either live at home or in nursing home. Participants are randomized to receive a 10-week group music therapy intervention, 10-week group digital music rehabilitation intervention (implemented with the HILDA content service) or standard care. Outcome measures are performed three times over a 6-month follow-up, comprising neuropsychological tests and questionnaires on mood, memory, and quality of life. A subgroup of participants is also assessed at baseline using electroencephalography (EEG) and structural and functional MRI (s/fMRI) measurements.
City of Helsinki (Laakso hospital, Kustaankartano and Riistavuori Senior Centers, regional Senior Centers), Helsinki Alzheimer’s Association, Helsinki Senior Citizens Foundation, Miina Sillanpää Foundation, Esperi Care, Kardemummo Ltd, Helsinki University Central Hospital & HUS Medical Imaging Center.
With the rapid ageing of the population, the societal and economic burden of stroke will increase substantially in coming years. Music has already proven to be a promising and useful tool in stroke rehabilitation: a number of music-based interventions have been developed and applied in the rehabilitation of motor (hemiparesis), language (aphasia), cognitive (attention and memory deficits), and emotional (depression) functions utilizing rhythm-, singing-, playing- or listening-based methods. However, these methods have mainly been used separately and implemented by trained therapists, which limits versatile and broad applicability of music in stroke rehabilitation.
The purpose of this study is to (i) develop a novel music-based telerehabilitation programme which is designed for stroke patients and utilizes multiple musical domains and (ii) determine whether it can enhance cognitive, motor and verbal functioning and emotional wellbeing in stroke patients and what is the neural basis of its efficacy. In addition, we will map deficits in different musical skills caused by stroke lesions and their neural mechanisms.
In this randomized controlled trial (RCT), we recruit stroke patients from the Helsinki metropolitan area who have either a left or right hemisphere lesion and associated cognitive, motor (hemiparesis), or language (aphasia) deficits. Participants are randomized to control (standard care) and music groups. In the music group, participants receive a 3-month music-based telerehabilitation programme, which comprises daily training at home with therapist-led instrument playing, singing, rhythmic exercise, and music listening videos and weekly remote sessions together with music therapist. Outcome measures are performed three times over a 6-month follow-up, comprising (i) music tasks; (ii) neuropsychological, motor, and language tests; (iii) questionnaires on mood, functioning, and quality of life; (iv) structural and functional MRI (s/fMRI) measurements of brain regions, pathways, and networks associated with music and cognitive, motor. and language functions.
HUS Neurocenter, HUS Medical Imaging Center, Uusimaa Stroke Association
A large and innovative five-year (2019-2023) research project led by Prof. Särkämö (PI) and funded by a Starting Grant from the European Research Council (ERC). PREMUS comprises the following four studies, which explore the impact of ageing, aphasia, and Alzheimer’s disease on the neural processing of music and singing as well as the efficacy of choir singing for facilitating healthy neurocognitive ageing and recovery from aphasia.
Previous studies suggest that singing is a highly complex and versatile activity for the human brain and that long-term singing training induces various auditory-cognitive benefits and neuroplasticity changes. In the young adult brain, singing is processed by a large-scale frontal, temporal, parietal, and subcortical network, which is more bilateral than the networks for language and music. Ageing is known to bring about different compensatory neural changes, such as a shift towards using more bilateral and prefrontal resources when performing cognitive or verbal tasks, to counter gradual cognitive decline.
This study aims to uncover the effect of ageing and singing experience on the neural networks involved in speech and singing perception and production, especially regarding their lateralization and prefrontal engagement. Furthermore, we aim to increase our understanding of the neural mechanisms mediating the positive emotional, cognitive, and social benefits of singing in ageing.
Using a cross-sectional design, we compare amateur singers and non-singers from three age groups (young, middle-age, and older adults) with (i) behavioural tasks measuring auditory, cognitive, language and singing skills; (ii) questionnaires on cognitive functioning, mood, social functioning, and quality of life; (iii) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of grey and white matter organization and structural connectivity; and (iv) resting-state and task-based functional MRI (fMRI) of activation patterns and functional connectivity associated with speech, music, and singing processing.
Adult education centres and choirs in Uusimaa region; Aalto University / Advanced Magnetic Imaging Centre; University of Jyväskylä / Department of Music, Art and Culture Studies; Aarhus University / Center for Music and the Brain.
As the population ages, there is a growing interest towards lifestyle-related factors, including physical and cognitive activity, which can increase cognitive reserve and improve functioning in older age. Increasing evidence indicates that music engages a large-scale bilateral network in the brain and that regular musical activities can have positive effects on cognitive, emotional, and social well-being and brain structure and function, also in older adults. Choir singing involves many sensory-motor, cognitive, linguistic, emotional, and social processes, which makes it a promising tool for promoting psychological well-being in normal ageing.
The purpose of this study is to determine the long-term effects of regular choir singing on normal ageing in terms of domain-general cognitive functioning, emotional and social well-being, and specific auditory-cognitive brain processes crucial for perceiving the changing sound environment.
This is a longitudinal cohort study of healthy older adults (age 60+) recruited from adult education centres and senior organizations in Helsinki, Espoo, and Vantaa who are either active senior choir singers or do not practice choir singing. The participants are followed for a duration of three years using (i) questionnaires on cognitive functioning, mood, social functioning, and quality of life at 6-month intervals as well as (ii) neuropsychological testing of memory, attention, and executive function and (iii) electroencephalography (EEG) measurements of auditory sensory memory and attention at 12-month intervals.
Adult education centres and choirs in Helsinki, Vantaa and Espoo regions; University of Jyväskylä / Department of Music, Art and Culture Studies; University of California San Francisco / Institute for Health & Aging.
Singing is a highly stimulating and versatile activity for the brain, combining vocal-motor, auditory, linguistic, cognitive, emotional, and social brain processes, both in the left and right hemisphere. The capacity to sing is often preserved in aphasia after stroke, and singing-based methods, such as Melodic Intonation Therapy (MIT), can be effective in rehabilitating speech production in aphasia. Also emotionally and socially, singing could provide a powerful alternative channel for people with aphasia to express their emotions and interact with others.
The purpose of this study is to determine the clinical and neural efficacy of a novel singing-based intervention in post-stroke aphasia. Specifically, the targeted outcomes are verbal and vocal-motor skills, cognitive skills, emotional functioning and quality of life, caregivers’ psychological well-being, and structural and functional neuroplasticity. In addition, we explore the preservation of singing ability and music learning in aphasia and the neural mechanisms underlying them.
This is a randomized controlled trial (RCT) where post-stroke aphasia patients and their family members are recruited from Helsinki and Turku metropolitan areas. The participants receive a 4-month singing intervention comprising choir singing, group MIT, and tablet-based singing training at home. Outcome measures are performed three times over a 12-month follow-up, comprising (i) language and cognitive tests; (ii) music and singing tasks; (iii) questionnaires on mood, communication, social participation, and quality of life; (iv) electroencephalography (EEG) measurements of auditory sensory memory and verbal learning; and (v) structural and functional MRI (s/fMRI) measurements of brain regions, pathways, and networks associated with speech, music, and singing processing.
Uusimaa and Turku Stroke Associations; Finnish Brain Association; Outloud Ltd; Helsinki University Central Hospital & HUS Medical Imaging Centre; Turku University Hospital & Medical Imaging Centre of Southwest Finland; University of Barcelona / Cognition and Brain Plasticity Unit; Harvard Medical School / Music and Neuroimaging Laboratory; University of Melbourne / Faculty of Fine Arts and Music; Aarhus University / Center for Music and the Brain.
With the rapid ageing of the population and the increasing prevalence of age-related cognitive decline and dementia, there is a growing interest in music as a neurorehabilitation tool. Previous studies suggest that music perception, singing, and music-evoked emotions and memories can often be remarkably well-preserved in dementia compared to other domains affected by the disease. However, there is currently very little systematic research on the preservation of different musical skills across the dementia severity continuum and on the neural mechanisms underlying this.
The purpose of this study is to map different musical skills (music perception and memory, singing, moving to music, emotions) and their underlying psychological and neural mechanisms in healthy ageing and in different stages of dementia.
In this cross-sectional study, we recruit healthy older adults and persons with varying levels of dementia (mild / moderate / severe) from the Helsinki metropolitan area. These subject groups are compared using (i) music tasks; (ii) neuropsychological tests; (iii) questionnaires on mood, memory, and quality of life; (iv) mobile electroencephalography (EEG) measurements of auditory sensory memory and music encoding; and (v) structural and functional MRI (s/fMRI) measurements of brain regions, pathways, and networks associated with music, emotion, and memory.
City of Helsinki (Laakso hospital, Kustaankartano and Riistavuori Senior Centers, regional Senior Centers), Helsinki Alzheimer’s Association, Helsinki Senior Citizens Foundation, Miina Sillanpää Foundation, Esperi Care, Sentina Ltd, Helsinki University Central Hospital & HUS Medical Imaging Center.
Previously we have performed a number clinical studies exploring musical abilities and rehabilitative effects of music in traumatic brain injury, stroke and dementia.
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) often causes severe and extensive cognitive, motor, and emotional deficits, which are highly debilitating for the individual. In healthy persons and in neurological illnesses, such as stroke, musical training and music-based rehabilitation have been shown to enhance cognitive and emotional functioning and neuroplasticity, but the rehabilitative effects of music in TBI are still largely unknown.
The purpose of this study is to determine the clinical and neural efficacy of a novel neurological music therapy intervention in TBI. Specifically, the targeted outcomes are executive functions, attention, memory, motor skills, mood, quality of life, and structural and functional neuroplasticity.
This is a randomized controlled trial (RCT) in patients with moderate-severe TBI performed in Helsinki (2014-2018). The participants received a 3-month neurological music therapy intervention involving cognitive-motor training with drums and creative musical expression (music playing, song writing) or standard rehabilitation. Outcome measures were performed three times over a 6-month follow-up, comprising (i) neuropsychological tests of executive functions, attention, and memory; (ii) motor tests of upper-extremity movement control; (iii) questionnaires on mood, executive deficits, and quality of life; and (iv) structural and functional MRI (s/fMRI) measurements of brain regions, pathways, and networks associated with cognitive processing.
Helsinki University Central Hospital / Department of Neurology, Brain Injury Outpatient Clinic, and HUS Medical Imaging Centre; Finnish Association of People with Physical Disabilities / Validia Rehabilitation Helsinki; Åbo Akademi University / Department of Psychology; University of Jyväskylä / Department of Music, Art and Culture Studies; University of Barcelona / Cognition and Brain Plasticity Unit
Music listening engages many perceptual, cognitive, motor, and emotional processes in the brain. After stroke, damage to specific brain regions can give rise to amusia, a deficit in the ability to perceive music, but music listening may also act as a form environmental enrichment and provide stimulation to spared brain regions, potentially enhancing recovery.
In a series of three studies launched in 2004, our aim has been to determine the effects of daily music listening on cognitive, verbal, emotional, and neural recovery during the first months after stroke as well as explore ways to optimize the effects of music listening in terms of music material and music technology and clinical characteristics of the patients. Moreover, we study the neural basis of post-stroke amusia and its recovery as well as the mnemonic effects of songs on verbal learning.
The studies are two randomized controlled trials (RCT) of stroke patients performed in Helsinki (2004–2007) and Turku (2014–2016) where we compare the effects of daily listening to different types of music and speech (audiobooks) and standard care during the first two post-stroke months. Outcome measures were performed three times over a 6-month follow-up, comprising (i) language, cognitive, and music perception tests; (ii) questionnaires on mood and quality of life; (iii) magnetoencephalography (MEG) measurements of auditory sensory memory; and (iv) structural and functional MRI (s/fMRI) measurements of brain regions, pathways, and networks associated with speech and music processing. Additionally, a third study is a pilot study, which explores the short-term hormonal effects of music listening after stroke and the usability of music streaming applications after stroke.
Helsinki University Central Hospital / Department of Neurology, BioMag Laboratory, and HUS Medical Imaging Centre; Turku University Hospital / Division of Clinical Neurosciences and Medical Imaging Centre of Southwest Finland; Åbo Akademi University / Department of Psychology; University of Jyväskylä / Department of Music, Art and Culture Studies; University of Montreal / International Laboratory for Brain, Music and Sound Research; University of Barcelona / Cognition and Brain Plasticity Unit
In dementia, music can provide an important form of emotional expression, social interaction, and cognitive stimulation, and music therapy is a promising tool in improving mood and alleviating neuropsychiatric symptoms in moderate and severe dementia. Less is, however, known about the potential effects of caregiver-implemented musical leisure activities, especially in the early stage of dementia and for supporting cognitive functioning
The goal of the study was to determine the applicability and long-term effects of regular caregiver-implement musical activities in persons with dementia (PWDs) on the cognitive functioning, mood and quality of life of the PWDs and on the psychological well-being of their family caregivers.
In this randomized controlled trial (RCT) performed in five care units in Helsinki and Espoo (2009-2011), dyads of PWDs with mild-moderate dementia and their caregivers (family members and nurses) received a 3-month music coaching intervention, focusing on the everyday use of either singing or listening of familiar songs, or standard care. Outcome measures were performed three times over a 9-month follow-up, comprising (i) neuropsychological tests of memory and other cognitive functions and (ii) questionnaires on mood, quality of life and caregiver’s psychological wellbeing.
Miina Sillanpää Foundation; University of Helsinki / Department of Teacher Education; Sibelius Academy; Helsinki Alzheimer’s Association; Tapiola Service Centre; Helsinki Senior Citizens Foundation; Kustaankartano Centre for the Elderly; University of California San Francisco / Institute for Health and Aging