Word: janigro
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...Janigro's study, more than a dozen neurosurgical patients, predominantly with Parkinson's, listened to three musical selections - rhythmic music with no discernible melody (by Gyorgi Ligeti, of Stanley Kubrick-movie fame), melodic music with undefined rhythm (by Aaron Jay Kernis, a Pulitzer Prize winner) and something in between (Ludwig van Beethoven). In the later stages of the research, to prevent familiarity from swaying the subjects' responses, music was specifically composed for the study by students from the Cleveland Institute of Music...
Listening to melodic music decreased the activity of individual neurons in the deep brain, says Janigro, adding that the physical responses to the calming music ranged from patients' closing their eyes to falling asleep. Some patients even settled into a nice round of snoring. And when lead neurosurgeon Ali Rezai needed patients to perform an action, such as lifting a limb, during the procedures, he simply removed their earphones and relayed instructions. Once the music resumed, patients returned to their snoozing...
These are very desirable results, says Janigro. With the right music, he says, patients can be more relaxed in the operating room. And that relaxation may mean not only that procedures involve less medication - to control blood pressure, which increases with stress - but perhaps that patients have quicker recovery times and shorter hospital stays...
...Janigro anticipates that following institutional approval, music will be used during certain neurosurgical procedures at the clinic as early as 2010. He hopes other hospitals will soon follow Cleveland's lead. "This type of surgery can be a traumatizing experience, and using music can decrease anxiety," he notes...
With health-care expenditures through the roof, this patient benefit is practically free, says Janigro, who used his own iPod and that of a colleague's to pump in the music for the study. "The clinic doesn't have a budget for iPods yet, but soon I think we will. It's a no-brainer," he says. "There's nothing more calming than sleep...