Beyond Words: The Impact of Physical Therapy with Music Therapy on Brain Injury Recovery 1963

Music is a powerful therapeutic tool for individuals with neurologic conditions. This session explores the role of music in promoting neuroplasticity, focusing on two uses of music: Rhythmic Auditory Stimulation® (RAS™) and pre-movement music listening. RAS uses repetitive rhythmic cues to facilitate auditory-motor entrainment, activating alternative neural pathways to enhance gait, coordination, and motor performance. In contrast, listening to music prior to movement engages emotional and cognitive processes, priming motor pathways and improving attention, arousal, and overall movement quality.
 
The session will review how these techniques are implemented in an inpatient rehabilitation setting and will present a case study involving two patients recovering from a brain injury. With limited evidence available for neurologic music therapy® in this population, the case study compares the outcomes of RAS during physical therapy versus pre-movement music listening. Outcome measures include functional mobility, Five-Time Sit to Stand, and 10-Meter Walk tests.
 
Interdisciplinary collaboration between physical therapists and neurologic music therapists will be highlighted, offering insight into how NMT™ and familiar music can be integrated into physical therapy to improve patient outcomes. The session will also address practical challenges, offer recommendations for clinical application, and suggest areas for future research.