Music therapy as a non-pharmacological treatment for epilepsy

Abstract

Epilepsy is one of the most common neurological diseases. Currently, the primary methods of treatment include pharmacological and surgical treatment. However, approximately one-third of patients exhibit refractory epilepsy. Therefore, a novel approach to epilepsy treatment is necessary. Several studies have confirmed that music therapy can be effective at reducing seizures and epileptiform discharges, thus providing a new option for clinicians in the treatment of epilepsy. Although the underlying mechanism of music therapy is unknown, it may be related to resonance, mirror neurons, dopamine pathways and parasympathetic activation. Large sample, multicenter, randomized double-blind and more effectively designed studies are needed for future music therapy studies.

Keywords:

• epilepsy
• epileptiform discharge
• Mozart effect
• music
• non-pharmacological treatment
• seizure

Financial & competing interests disclosure

This manuscript was supported by the Key Specialty Construction Foundation of the National Clinical Neurology. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

Key issues

• Epilepsy is a common and severe neurological disorder, and the efficacy and safety of its treatment methods is unsatisfactory. Therefore, an alternative method is urgently needed.

• Approximately, the exploration of the effects of music on brain discharges and seizure reduction has spanned a total of 40 years.

• The effectiveness of music, particularly Mozart’s music, in reducing epileptiform discharges and seizures has been confirmed in different clinical trials, case reports, animal studies and evidence-based medicine.

• Although the mechanism of the effects of music therapy is unknown, it may be related to resonance, mirror neurons, dopamine pathways and parasympathetic activation.

• The types of epilepsy that can be controlled by music therapy include Lennox–Gastaut syndrome, benign epilepsy with centro-temporal spikes, gelastic epilepsy and so on.

• The types of music with anti-epileptic effects described in the literature are summarized.

• The particularity of music therapy is summarized including the carry-over effect and different effects on different foci of epileptiform discharges.

• Previous cases in which music therapy was used for the treatment of epilepsy are described, and the treatment methods are summarized.

• Large sample, multicenter, randomized double-blind and more effectively designed studies are needed in the exploration of music therapy on epilepsy.