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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
Article
Effects of Medical Music-Care Therapy for Children With Neurodevelopmental Disorders
Author(s)
Naomitsu Suzuki, Haruka Kenmochi
Keiko Miyamoto
Tamiko Hayashi, Suzuko Matsumoto
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DOI:10.17265/2159-5542/2017.10.004
Affiliation(s)
Tsukuba Clinic for Mental Sick Children & Adolescents, Tsukuba City, Ibaraki, Japan
Japan Music-Care Association, Ishikawa, Japan
Japan Music-Care Association, Ishikawa, Japan
Tsukuba Clinic for Mental Sick Children & Adolescents, Tsukuba City, Ibaraki, Japan
ABSTRACT
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) are categorized as
neurodevelopmental disorders by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental
Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5). ASD, which is frequently comorbid with ADHD,
is characterized by difficulties with communication, behavior, and/or social
interaction. Children with
neurodevelopmental disorders often have a developmental coordination disorder
owing to impaired cerebellar function, which has been shown to cause
difficulties with physical balance. It is very difficult for such children to
ride a tricycle or bicycle, turn a skipping rope, and go down a flight of
stairs. Owing to the cerebellar dysfunction, some children with
neurodevelopmental disorders exhibit poor physical balance, which may affect
their behavior or social interactions in all situations. Specifically, children
with ADHD tend to have a small cerebellar size. Therefore, we considered it
necessary to train their cerebellar function as soon as possible, and
hypothesized that their physical balance may gradually improve, leading to some
positive effects on their behavior and/or social interaction. Thaut suggested that
music therapy is effective in improving cerebellar function. Therefore, we
think that it may be useful for treating a developmental coordination disorder
through the stimulation of the cerebellum.
We have been using the “medical music-care therapy” method in our clinic since 2015. This new method is a
group therapy conducted with mothers and infants. Further, it is also effective
in identifying neurological deficits, particularly related to cerebellar
function, which are evident from other assessments, such as the finger-nose test, standing on one-foot
test, tandem gait test, and diadochokinesis test. This new method combines
training and evaluation, and is useful to improve the self-esteem of children
with neurodevelopmental disorders. We wish to draw attention to the benefits of medical
music-care therapy, and thereby recommend its use for managing
neurodevelopmental disorders.
KEYWORDS
medical music-care therapy, children, neurodevelopmental disorders, autism spectrum disorder, attention deficit hyperactive disorder
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