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I read another article about brain cell connections to music. Yeah, I’m a nerd when it comes to that kind of information. And I love a quote from that article that said, “Neurons that fire together, wire together.”Of course the scientist who said that was talking about how brain cells communicate with each other by “firing” messages through junctions called synapses. And when those cells connect, regularly (as they do when a musician is practicing or rehearsing), they can build strong bonds into a complicated circuitry. And, according to the article, that’s how an “efficient network” is built for skills such as singing.
But those are brain cell connections in a healthy brain.
And since music therapy is more widely recognized as truly helpful, there are some programs out there working to see if music can benefit unhealthy brains. Such as the arts and humanities program at the Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center. They decided to let musicians-in-residence play throughout the hospital.
Palliative care nurses often let a well-know cellist, there, play for patients who are anxious or in pain. And they can watch monitors to help them match the music’s tempo to heart rates. Then they work, in sync, to gradually slow dow the tempo and gradually ease the patient’s anxiety and heart rate.
I think that’s mighty cool.
And sometimes musicians play for the dying patients. By design, they choose gently arrhythmic background music. Not a song that might be familiar. Because the familiar can lead to heart-wrenching memories. And that defeats the purpose of these special brain cell connections to music.
A director of Georgetown’s program, said she wondered if they could research the type and dose of music for different health situations. And she added, “If we can study the arts in the same way that science studies medication and other therapeutics, I think we will be doing so much good.”
I agree with that.
And I believe it’s do-able because God is real. I know. I know. I’m always directing the conversation back to God. But it’s because He’s the source of life. And He designed all those complicated neurons that wire together for healthy brain cell connections. So, it’s only natural that, since He wants us to have abundant life, He also designed everything so that we could.
Not all brains function properly. But that’s a result of rebellion. And that’s another topic for another time.
Here’s a poem I shared, directed toward kids from 3 to 93 that talked about brain health.
Good For The Brain
Why should we care about the wheels on a train
Or the wings on a plane
Or the links in a chain?
What in the world would we ever have to gain?
That’s easy…it’s good for the brain.
Why should we think about the cars in the lane
Or the ankle we sprain
Or the clouds and the rain?
Listen up now ’cause I’m trying to explain…
I told you…it’s good for the brain.
Why should we look for the sugar in the cane
Or the chicken chow mein
Or the blood in the vein?
Why should we see what the data might contain?
It’s simple…it’s good for the brain.
Why should we try to ease somebody’s pain
Or clean up a stain
Or sing a refrain?
What could we ever really hope to obtain?
Just do it…it’s good for the brain.
Stay tuned,
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