Music Listening Induces Short-Term Changes in Attention in Poststroke Aphasia

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Cognitive Psychology
• Speech-Language Pathology

Background:

• Cognitive deficits in people with aphasia (PWA) are linked to poorer treatment outcomes.
• Aphasia therapy seldom addresses cognitive aspects, contributing to outcome variability.
• Music listening positively impacts cognition in neurotypical adults.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate if music listening induces short-term attention improvements in PWA.
• To explore the effects of happy versus sad music on different attention types.

Main Methods:

• Forty-three PWA were allocated to listen to happy music, sad music, or no music for 10 minutes.
• Attention was assessed pre- and post-intervention using the Attention Network Test (ANT).
• The ANT measures alerting, orienting, and executive control attention.

Main Results:

• Happy music listening temporarily enhanced orienting attention in all PWA.
• Short-term improvements in alerting attention were observed in individuals with moderate-severe aphasia.
• Executive control attention remained unaffected by music listening.

Conclusions:

• Music listening shows potential for inducing short-term attention improvements in PWA.
• Further research is necessary to understand the extent and mechanisms of music-induced attention changes.
• Findings suggest music may be a viable adjunct therapy for attention deficits in aphasia.