Article

Several studies have shown that music can boost cognitive functions in normal and
brain-damaged subjects. A few studies have suggested a beneficial effect of music
in patients with a disorder of consciousness but it is difficult to conclude
since they did not use quantified measures and a control condition/group. The aim
of the present study was to compare the effect of music to that of a continuous
sound on the relational behavior of patients in a minimally conscious state
(MCS). Behavioral responses of six MCS patients were evaluated using items from
the Coma Recovery Scale-Revised. Weekly evaluation sessions were carried out,
over four weeks, under two conditions: following the presentation of either the
patient's preferred music, or following a continuous sound (control condition).
Qualitative and quantitative analyses showed that twelve of the eighteen sessions
(66.6%) showed a better result for the music condition than for the control
condition. This new protocol suggests that preferred music has a beneficial
effect on the cognitive abilities of MCS patients. The results further suggest
that cerebral plasticity may be enhanced in autobiographical (emotional and
familiar) contexts. These findings should now be further extended with an
increased number of patients to further validate the hypothesis of the beneficial
effect of music on cognitive recovery.
CI - Copyright (c) 2014 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Langue : FRANCAIS