Music’s influence on the brain is documented in conditions ranging from dementia , to epilepsy . Both music participation and appreciation are tied to improvements in executive function and memory so how close are we to harnessing music as a targeted therapeutic tool.

One researcher at the forefront of this work is Edward Large, PhD, a professor at the University of Connecticut in Storrs, Connecticut, and director of its Music Dynamics Laboratory. He told Medscape Medical News that he is optimistic about research suggesting that music can help, “not just with depression and anxiety but with more profound neurological and psychological disorders.”

However, he added that music’s benefits aren’t yet fully understood. Robert Zatorre, PhD, founding co-director of the International Labor

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