Music Therapy Commons^™

Neuroaesthetic Frequency Tuning For Neurodivergent Populations: A Network-Informed Theory Of Music For Emotional Memory And Cognitive Regulation, Piper Hutson, James Hutson

Faculty Scholarship

Neuroaesthetic frequency tuning posits that deliberate selection of musical parameters can modulate large-scale neural systems to support emotional memory retrieval and cognitive regulation in neurodivergent populations. Drawing on contemporary evidence from network neuroscience, cognitive musicology, and affective science, the article synthesizes how rhythmic, harmonic, and lyrical structures align with Default Mode (DM), fronto-parietal control, salience, motor, and limbic systems, and how these alignments can be targeted to balance internally oriented mentation with task engagement. The theory further integrates autonomic and cellular mechanisms, describing how tempo and spectral energy shift arousal and heart rate variability, and how astrocytic ensembles contribute to …

Improved Motor Skills In Autistic Children After Three Weeks Of Neurologic Music Therapy Via Telehealth: A Pilot Study, Nicole M. Richard Williams, Corene Hurt-Thaut, Jessica Brian, Luc Tremblay, Marija Pranjic, Jessica Teich, Melissa Tan, Julia Kowaleski, Michael Thaut

Faculty Scholarship

Background: Many autistic children experience motor skill deficits which can impact other areas of functioning, and research on therapeutic interventions for motor skills in autism is in a preliminary stage. Music-based therapies have been used extensively to address motor skills in non-autistic populations. Though a handful of studies exist on the effects of music-based therapies for movement in autistic children, none have investigated the possibility of administering sessions via telehealth. This mixed-methods pilot study investigated whether nine Neurologic Music Therapy (NMT)^® sessions via telehealth would improve motor and attention skills in autistic children.

Methods: Five autistic children between five …

Auditory Feedback Decreases Timing Variability For Discontinuous And Continuous Motor Tasks In Autistic Adults, Nicole M. Richard Williams, Luc Tremblay, Corene Hurt-Thaut, Jessica Brian, Julia Kowaleski, Kathrin Mertel, Sebastian Schlüter, Michael Thaut

Faculty Scholarship

Introduction: Autistic individuals demonstrate greater variability and timing error in their motor performance than neurotypical individuals, likely due at least in part to atypical cerebellar characteristics and connectivity. These motor difficulties may differentially affect discrete as opposed to continuous movements in autistic individuals. Augmented auditory feedback has the potential to aid motor timing and variability due to intact auditory-motor pathways in autism and high sensitivity in autistic individuals to auditory stimuli. Methods: This experiment investigated whether there were differences in timing accuracy and variability in autistic adults as a function of task (discontinuous vs. continuous movements) and condition (augmented auditory …

Factors Influencing Music Therapists’ Retention Of Clinical Hours With Autistic Clients Over Telehealth During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Nicole M. Richard Williams

Faculty Scholarship

The COVID-19 pandemic influenced music therapists to migrate services to online platforms, though some lost clinical hours during the pandemic when telehealth was not a viable option. This survey study aimed to ascertain factors that helped music-based therapists to continue serving autistic clients over telehealth during the pandemic. We surveyed 193 accredited music therapists located mainly in Canada and the United States. In addition to gathering data on general perceptions of telehealth music therapy and Neurologic Music Therapy® (NMT), one-way ANOVAs were applied to determine differences in percent-change loss of clinical hours for music therapists: 1) working in different employment …

Novel Screening Tool And Considerations For Music Therapists Serving Autistic Individuals Via Telehealth: Qualitative Results From A Survey Of Clinicians’ Experiences, Nicole M. Richard Williams

Faculty Scholarship

During the COVID-19 pandemic, music therapists transitioned services from in-person to telehealth due to health and safety concerns. Though online delivery of music therapy services for autistic individuals occurred prior to 2020, the number of North American music therapists using telehealth with autistic clients rose substantially during the pandemic. The current paper’s objective was to delineate music therapists’ perceptions regarding factors that helped or hindered autistic persons’ engagement in online music therapy sessions. One-hundred ninety-two participants completed the survey. Qualitative content analysis of an open-ended question identified seven overarching themes regarding benefits and challenges of telehealth music therapy for autistic …

Investigating Music-Based Cognitive Rehabilitation For Individuals With Moderate To Severe Chronic Acquired Brain Injury: A Feasibility Experiment, Nicole M. Richard Williams

Faculty Scholarship

Background: Acquired brain injuries often cause cognitive impairment, significantly impacting participation in rehabilitation and activities of daily living. Music can influence brain function, and thus may serve as a uniquely powerful cognitive rehabilitation intervention. Objective: This feasibility study investigated the potential effectiveness of music-based cognitive rehabilitation for adults with chronic acquired brain injury. Methods: The control group participated in three Attention Process Training (APT) sessions, while the experimental group participated in three Music Attention Control Training (MACT) sessions. Pre-and post- testing used the Trail Making A & B, Digit Symbol, and Brown-Peterson Task as neuropsychological tests. Results: ANOVA analyses showed …