Music Could Help Save Sight in Stroke Victims

For people who've suffered stroke, listening to music may help restore visual abilities. In a new study, researchers worked with three patients who had lost awareness of half their field of vision after experiencing stroke. Known as "visual neglect," this impairment in sight results from stroke-related damage to brain areas involved in the integration of vision, attention, and action.

For the study, the three patients performed tasks under three conditions: while listening to their preferred music, while listening to music they did not like, and in silence. Under the first condition, the patients could identify objects in their impaired field of vision much more accurately than they could under the other two conditions. The study's authors suggest that listening to preferred music awakens positive emotions, which in turn could result in more efficient signaling in the brain.

A powerful mood-booster, music has also been shown to improve attention and reduce anxiety in other recent studies.