Abstract
ABSTRACT Introduction Music therapy has been widely applied to aid individuals both psychologically and physically, including as rehabilitation training for stroke patients. Recently, the use of novel technologies such as Digital Musical Instruments (DMIs) and Virtual Reality (VR) has become more common in this field. To broaden the application of music therapy with these technologies to neurological patients, it is important to understand their effects on the brain. Method The aim of this propositional study is to present a quantitative evaluation of brain network changes, using functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI), occurring in individuals who used an XR-based Extended DMI (EDMI), namely, BehCreative. BehCreative is an immersive EDMI that provides sound and visual feedback based on the user’s body movements. Five healthy individuals underwent ten training sessions with BehCreative and resting-state fMRI scans (before the first and after the last session). Results Functional connectivity changes between those scans were examined. A strengthened connection between brain areas associated with movement and audiovisual feedback processing was identified, possibly associated with an increase in motivation and cognitive engagement during audio-visual tasks. In general, connectivity changes pointed to an increase in arousal in the tested subjects, which may have been linked to the activation of the reward system during the use of the EDMI. Discussion These results are in line with our initial hypothesis, which was that training with BehCreative stimulates the neuroplasticity of the reward system. This study builds upon our previous research, on the therapeutic potential of DMIs.
Published Version
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