Neurology specialists attending the XXVIII Sociedad Andaluza de Neurología Annual Meeting (SAN, in Cádiz-Spain) emphasized that music can benefit some disorders as a treatment, but curiously it can also be dangerous for pro musicians.
Neurologists in SAN have analyzed the relationship between music and brain: First music as an effective treatment, and second those illnesses coming from music. Benefits include reductions of anxiety and hostility levels, inducement to sleep, improvement in children’s behavior and an important contribution in the prevention of states of agitation.
However Dr. Jesús Acosta, from Hospital Universitario Puerta del Mar, in Cádiz (Spain), noticed negative effects and origin of several disorders. For instance, musicians usually suffer from joint and cervical injuries, and also loss of hearing. In the specific case of flamenco singers, they usually suffered dysphonia due finally to the particular use of their voice.
The same way, musician’s behavior can suddenly turn into anxiety and stress when the performance is coming to be, and depression can appear when things go wrong. Drugs and excessive use of medicines are also used to find external encouragement.
Dr. Acosta also talked about ‘amusia’ cases, a disorder which makes people not having feeling for music, the opposite to autistics, able to understand musical sounds but not words. He also mentioned some great musicians who suffered severe cerebral disorders but composed masterpieces.
Some examples can be Ravel’s aphasia (inability to talk), Schumman’s hearing hallucinations consequence from his psychosis and schizophrenia (considered the origin of some of his scores), or Falla’s dermatitis because of his craze of washing his hands thousand times every day.