The scope and potential of music therapy in stroke rehabilitation

There is a growing interest in the use of music therapy in neurological rehabilitation. Of all the major neurological illnesses, stroke rehabilitation has been observed to have some of the strongest potential for music therapy's beneficial effect. The current burden of stroke has raised the need to embrace novel, cost-effective, rehabilitation designs that will enhance the existing physical, occupation, and speech therapies. Music therapy addresses a broad spectrum of motor, speech, and cognitive deficits, as well as behavioral and emotional issues. Several music therapy designs have focused on gait, cognitive, and speech rehabilitation, but most of the existing randomized controlled trials based on these interventions have a high risk of bias and are statistically insignificant. More randomized controlled trials with greater number of participants are required to strengthen the current data. Fostering an open and informed dialogue between patients, healthcare providers, and music therapists may help increase quality of life, dispel fallacies, and guide patients to specific musical interventions.