Neuropsychologist Isabelle Peretz has brought to the table a fact that many intuited but few formalized: music works as a therapeutic tool without side effects. According to the expert, its benefits are immediate and varied, from evoking memories in Alzheimer's patients to regulating the heart rate of premature babies. All without the need for a medical prescription.
How musical neurocognition optimizes brain plasticity ðŸ§
Peretz explains that music activates neural networks that connect memory, emotion, and movement. In Parkinson's patients, musical rhythm acts as an external metronome that synchronizes the motor cortex, reducing tremors and improving coordination. For premature babies, soft melodies regulate their heart rate by modulating the autonomic nervous system. These effects do not require drugs, only a well-directed acoustic stimulus.
The doctor's playlist: more effective than ibuprofen 🎵
Finally, a therapy that doesn't require fasting or leave a metallic taste in your mouth. Music, according to Peretz, can improve the mood of an Alzheimer's patient without needing to argue whether the pill is blue or red. Of course, we'll have to see how the patient reacts when they are played a reggaeton playlist at eight in the morning. Maybe the Parkinson's tremor will turn into forced dancing.