Does music induce interbrain synchronization between a non-speaking youth with cerebral palsy (CP), a parent, and a neurologic music therapist? A brief report

ABSTRACT

Shared emotional experiences during musical activities among musicians can be coupled with brainwave synchronization. For non-speaking individuals with CP, verbal communication may be limited in expressing mutual empathy. Therefore, this case study explored interbrain synchronization among a non-speaking CP (female, 18 yrs), her parent, and a music therapist by measuring their brainwaves simultaneously during four music and four storytelling sessions. In only the youth-parent dyad, we observed a significantly higher level of interbrain synchronization during music rather than story-telling condition. However, in both the youth-parent and youth-therapist dyad, regardless of condition type, significant interbrain synchronization emerged in frontal and temporal lobes in the low-frequency bands, which are associated with socio-emotional responses. Although interbrain synchronization may have been induced by multiple factors (e.g., external stimuli, shared empathetic experiences, and internal physiological rhythms), the music activity setting deserves further study as a potential facilitator of neurophysiological synchrony between youth with CP and caregivers/healthcare providers.

KEYWORDS:

• Music
• hyperscanning
• interbrain synchronization
• electroencephalography (EEG)
• empathy and social interaction
• non-speaking cerebral palsy (CP)

Acknowledgments

We would like to acknowledge a study participant, her mother, and the music therapist for their willing participation.

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

The author(s) reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.