Effect of Music on children with

ASD

- Ms Komala Krishnan
“persistent deficits in social communication and social interaction
across multiple contexts [and] restricted, repetitive patterns of
behavior, interests, or activities”

- American Psychiatric Association, 2013 (DSM V)

Auditory brain plasticity and the development of the auditory cortex are heavily dependent on the quality
of hearing experience (Yan, 2003).
In a prospective animal study, Angelucci et al. (2007) showed that exposure to music in mice could
facilitate the differentiation of new neurons and the production of nerve growth factor in brain areas like the
hippocampus, hypothalamus and cortical regions.
Studies in music and neuroscience demonstrate that music promotes neurobiological processes, modulates
synaptic plasticity, neuronal learning, and readjustment in the human brain (Abbott, 2002; Rickard et al., 2005;
Sacks, 2007).
Music activates various limbic and paralimbic structures. It seems that this activation may enhance
psychological and physiological health (Koelsch, 2010, 2014).
 Music on Neurophysiology
A study combining Raclopride PET and fMRI showed increase in endogenous dopamine transmission
involving the right Nucleus Accumbens during musical chills, and the right Caudate Nucleus in anticipation of these
moments, thus confirming that listening to pleasurable music activates the dopaminergic reward system (Salimpoor
et al., 2011).

Musical preference revealed that adults with ASD showed activation of the medial prefrontal cortex when
listening to preferred happy music, of the Ventral Tegmental Area for preferred sad music, and of the caudate
nucleus for preferred and non-preferred happy music (Caria et al., 2011).

Processing of music-evoked emotions was also associated with activation of medial orbitofrontal cortex and
limbic and paralimbic areas extending into the amygdala (Gebauer et al., 2014).

In 2018, Brain science study it was found that functional connectivity observed during music listening [30] could
be linked to the beneficial impact of musical aesthetic experiences, such as listening to favorite songs, on well-being
and even clinical conditions
 Music on Neurophysiology

In 1995, study by Department of Neurology revealed that the anterior half of the CC was significantly larger
in musicians than non-musician. This difference was due to the larger anterior CC in the subgroup of musicians
who had begun musical training before the age of 7. Since anatomic studies have provided evidence for a positive
correlation between midsagittal callosal size and the number of fibers crossing through the CC, these data indicate
a difference in inter-hemispheric communication and possibly in hemispheric (a)symmetry of sensorimotor areas.
In 2020, study by Autism Research concluded that 40 Hz frequency sound will be effective in children with
autism . It was studied that transcranial electrical stimulation (tES) modalities capable of entraining gamma
oscillations, and thereby potentially modulating inhibitory interneuron circuitry, are promising methods to study
and mitigate gamma alterations in ASD.
Hetland, L. (2000). Listening to music enhances spatial-temporal reasoning: Evidence for the “Mozart-
Effect.” The Journal of Aesthetic Education, 34, 105-148.
Music Therapy
 Music in utero
The sense of hearing is already developed before birth. The fetus responds to sound at least as early as at 25–
27 weeks of gestational age (
Hepper and Shahidullah, 1994; Clark-Gambelunghe and Clark, 2015; Monson et al., 2018).

At this age, peripheral auditory inputs may already reach the auditory cortex (
Jardri et al., 2008; Mahmoudzadeh et al., 2013).

Internally generated sounds originate in the mother’s organs (e.g., whooshing sound of the placenta,
rhythmic heartbeat), her voice and her movements. They are of highly musical nature. Heartbeat is rhythmic,
and the fetus primarily hears the musical parameters of speech: melody, rhythm, prosody, phonemes and pitch
contour of the maternal voice and external voices (Moon et al., 2013; Partanen et al., 2013; Philbin, 2017).
 Cont…

Nearly 30 years ago, Dr. Rene Van de Carr, one of the early pioneers of prenatal stimulation, said that infants
in utero are in a “prenatal university.” He instructs parents to expose their unborn child to music, poetry, and
children’s literature at his Prenatal University in California.

The result of all this dedication? Dramatic developmental differences in speech and language, memory, and
vocabulary between children exposed to music and literature in utero and their siblings who were not.

In his book, The Secret Life of the Unborn Child, Thomas R. Verny found that the unborn child “can see,
hear, experience, taste, and on a primitive level, even learn in utero.”
 Music in NICU

Music helps to improve physiological outcomes (e.g. oxygen saturation, heart rate, respiratory rate, and
blood pressure), as well as in behavioural state (e.g. crying, facial expression, body movements) and pain scores.
Premature infants receiving recorded music, that was the combination of womb sounds and the mother
singing, with endotracheal suctioning had significantly higher oxygen saturation than when they did not receive
music (Chou et al).
Recorded music involving both the vocal and instrumental version of Brahms lullaby versus no music, and
found that infants older than 31 weeks demonstrated significant reduction in heart rate, behavioral state and pain
(Butt & Kisilewsky).
The infants receiving live music, compared with infants receiving recorded music or no music, had
significantly reduced heart rate and behavioral scores during the post-intervention period. Live music showed
significant benefits, whereas no statistically significant changes were found for the recorded music and control
groups (Arnon et al).
 Music in NICU
Music therapy combined with kangaroo care decreased the pulse, slowed down the respiration and
increased the transcutaneous oxygen saturation in preterm infants. The musical instruments used were a lyre and
a female human voice, which hummed or sang (Teckenberg-Jansson et al).
There is evidence that music has also has positive consequences on long-term outcomes, including length of
hospitalization, weight gain, formula and calorie intake and non-nutritive sucking and stress behaviour (Study of
Caine). For example, in the the preterm infants received music stimulation which consisted of recorded vocal music
(including lullabies and children's music) and routine auditory stimulation
Exposure to music by Mozart significantly lowered energy expenditure among healthy preterm infants
(Lubetzky et al).
Music may have positive effects on physiological parameters and behavioral states, and reduced pain and
improved oral feeding rates among the premature infants. The effects of music were evaluated during medical
procedures (circumcision, heel prick) and for other indicators (Hartling et al in a nine randomized trials 1989-2006).
 Music in ASD
In 10 studies (165 participants) that examined the short- and medium-term effect of music therapy
interventions (one week to seven months) for children with ASD. It was to improve social interaction, verbal
communication, initiating behaviour, social-emotional reciprocity, to enhance non-verbal communication skills
within the therapy context, to increase social adaptation skills to promote the quality of parent-child relationships
(Monika Geretsegger 2014 ).

In a study, Twenty-two children with ASD completed 8 NMT sessions, as a part of a 2-month intervention. It
was found that all participants improved their coordination, according to the DCDQ scores, and exhibited better
control of their movements according to the strength and timing assessments after the intervention. Participants
who used the elastic touch-display scored higher on the DCDQ (Research in Developmental disabilities, 2020).
 Music in ASD

In 26 studies with a total number of 1165 participant. Music therapy uses music experiences and the
relationships that develop through them to enable people to relate to others, to communicate, to share their feelings
and quality of life. In this way, music therapy addresses some of the core problems of autistic people (2021).

In 2018 clinical trial, found 8 to 12 weeks of music therapy for school-aged autistic children improved
functional brain connectivity, social communication and family quality of life.

Applied Bionics and Biomechanics study, it was found that the language, social, cognitive, and behavioral
problems of autistic children have significant improvement by music therapy. It regulate their emotions, develop
adaptive behaviors, experience life, learn to be independent, improve their quality of life, and integrate into society
as soon as possible
 Music in ASD

In 2022, study by Nordic Journal of Music therapy showed improvements in social interaction by music.
Informants observed this improvement not only within, but also outside the therapeutic setting.
MT interventions positively impacted social interaction, adaptation and social-emotional reciprocity.
Furthermore, initiating behaviour and verbal communicative skills improved due to MT, but not non-verbal skills.
Positive effects of MT were also reported on the parent–child relationship (European Journal of Public Health, 2021).
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Author links open overlay panel. Franceli L.Cibriana MelisaMadrigalb. MarinaAvelaisb. MonicaTentoric
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