Music can Restore Vision after Stroke

A new study by UK scientists from Imperial College London, the University of Birmingham and other institutions just published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Science demonstrates sound can be used to facilitate healing. By listening to their favorite music, stroke patients with impaired vision were able to see better.

What caused the improvement in visual awareness seen in these patients? The researchers think it could be a result of the research subjects experiencing positive emotions when listening to favorite music. The scientists looked at functional MRI scans to see how the patients' brains functioned during the different tasks. They found that when tasks were performed to pleasant music, areas in the brain linked to positive emotional responses from stimuli were activated. At the same time, the patients' awareness of the visual world was improved.