Abstract
Schizophrenia is a disease characterized by clinical polymorphism: a combination of diverse syndromes defined by differences in structure, course and outcome. The etiology and pathogenesis of this mental disorder is still not completely understood, in spite of the achievements in the fields of neuroscience, genetics, neuroimaging and others. Different treatment strategies have been developed for patients with schizophrenia, but the search for new pharmacological agents continues with the mission of achieving a more effective control over the disease manifestations (positive and negative symptoms), improvement of the patients' social functioning and quality of life. The accumulated clinical experience has revealed that drug treatment and the inclusion in various rehabilitation programs and social skills training shows promising results in these patients. In recent years a plethora of evidence has been compiled regarding the role of music therapy as a possible alternative in the combination treatment of patients with mental disorders, schizophrenia included. Thus, the purpose of this review is to present the reader with a more detailed and science-based account of the beneficial effect of music therapy on the general wellbeing of patients diagnosed with schizophrenia. To fulfill our goal, we will focus mainly on the evidence provided by modern neuroimaging research.
Highlights
Schizophrenia is a devastating psychiatric disorder, characterized by a variety of different symptoms that are organized in several different clusters
We presented evidence of different natura why music therapy is a good alternative for a non-pharmacological therapy that could be combined with pharmacological treatments to form a more efficient approach toward schizophrenia
It appears that musical therapy is more suitable for the targeting of negative symptoms associated with the disease and that it can improve to a greater extent the quality of life of the patients
Summary
Schizophrenia is a devastating psychiatric disorder, characterized by a variety of different symptoms that are organized in several different clusters. It stands to reason that a future clinical trial, combining the application of Cariprazine with a non-pharmacological treatment strategy and neuropsychological assessment of large patient cohorts may offer new perspective on outpatient treatment strategies for negative symptoms. One such non-pharmacological treatment strategy is the use of music to improve the information processing capacities of the brain. Neuroimaging studies have discovered the higher rates of neuroplastic changes in the brains of musicians [26] This is yet another reason why music therapy may be a suitable choice when considering an effective therapeutic intervention during the course of outpatient treatment of patients suffering from somatic, cognitive, affective or behavioral disorders [27– 29]. We hope to create a conceptual framework for presenting the advantages that musical therapy has offered when being considered as a part of combination treatment
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
