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Tabitha Becklund

ENC 1102

Professor Guenzel

3/17/19

“Music facilitates the neurogenesis, regeneration and repair of neurons”: A Rhetorical Analysis

Communication in music neuroscience and music therapy is the dialogue between the

two areas of research working together to help a greater cause: making advancements in

technology beneficial to those who have experienced traumatic injuries or have

neurodegenerative conditions. The research questions that are currently up for debate are the

ways in which music is able to help people and the positive reactions that it causes. Out of music

therapy and drug related or technological treatments, I want to know which is the best method

for recovery; I would like to know how neuroscientists and therapists communicate with each

other and make progress in helping people with neurodegenerative conditions; I am curious

about how music therapy helps the brain recover; and I would also like to figure out which

neurodegenerative conditions music therapy works best with. A source I found that provides a

generous amount of information regarding the improvement/growth of the brain when exposed to

music therapy is a medical hypothesis titled “Music facilitates the neurogenesis, regeneration and

repair of neurons.” This text fits into my research project perfectly because it encompasses a

significant amount of research pertaining to the way in which music affects the brain in a

positive manner. My main goal is to gather as much information as possible on how the brain is

able to recover or improve given a diagnosis of a neurodegenerative condition through music,

medication, or surgical procedures. I will be using this scholarly article in my research paper to

ask the ultimate question: How does music affect the brain from a scientific standpoint?
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The Medical hypothesis on music therapy in relation to the recovery of the brain was

written by Hajime Fukui and Kumiko Toyoshima who are both in the department of education at

Nara University of Education in Japan. This source gives information of how music facilitates

neurogenesis and the regeneration and repair of neurons. According to studies done in the past, it

has been confirmed that music affects the cranial nerves in humans through all life stages. Music

has been observed to bring about cerebral plasticity in the brain when comparing against

musicians and non-musicians. Neuronal learning and readjustment, the response of brain cells

and fluctuations in cell counts, is affected and the effects last for an extended period of time.

This could allow patients with Alzheimer’s disease to recognize music from the past and recall

the memories that were associated with it and facilitate the recovery of other memories as well.

Considering the evaluation of numerous studies done by medical professionals by the authors of

this article, I will be able to understand more about causes the facilitation and regeneration of

neurons to help come to new conclusions pertaining to the treatment of neurodegenerative

conditions. Throughout this article, additional hyperlinks are included within, leading to more

sources and an excess of useful information relating to my topic of interest. The platform on

which this medical hypothesis was published is called Science Direct which is a site that enables

you to explore scientific, technical, and medical research. The viewer is able to examine journals

and books pertaining to a specific area of interest with credible sources and valuable and trusted

research.

An overall summary of this article is provided in the introduction: “Experience has

shown that therapy using music for therapeutic purposes has certain effects on neuropsychiatric
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disorders (both functional and organic disorders). However, the mechanisms of action

underlying music therapy remain unknown, and scientific clarification has not advanced. While

that study disproved the Mozart effect, the effects of music on the human body and mind were

not disproved. In fact, more scientific studies on music have been conducted in recent years,

mainly in the field of neuroscience, and the level of interest among researchers is increasing. The

results of past studies have clarified that music influences and affects cranial nerves in humans

from fetus to adult. The effects of music at a cellular level have not been clarified, and the

mechanisms of action for the effects of music on the brain have not been elucidated. We propose

that listening to music facilitates the neurogenesis, the regeneration and repair of cerebral nerves

by adjusting the secretion of steroid hormones, ultimately leading to cerebral plasticity. Music

affects levels of such steroids as cortisol (C), testosterone (T) and estrogen (E), and we believe

that music also affects the receptor genes related to these substances, and related proteins. In the

prevention of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, hormone replacement therapy has been shown

to be effective, but at the same time, side effects have been documented, and the clinical

application of hormone replacement therapy is facing a serious challenge. Conversely, music is

noninvasive, and its existence is universal and mundane. Thus, if music can be used in medical

care, the application of such a safe and inexpensive therapeutic option is limitless.” (Fukui 1).

This source’s intended audience is primarily individuals of the medical and scientific

discourses. What the authors wanted to provide the reader with was an explanation on how music

allows for the overall recovery of the brain when inflicted with a neurodegenerative disorder.

How they organized the article was in several sections: The Summary, Introduction, Hypothesis,

Conclusion, and References. The summary includes the reasons for which this article was written
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and why this research was conducted. The introduction provides an explanation of the studies

that were conducted in memory recovery and brain imaging. The hypothesis explains that music,

in fact, does facilitate the neurogenesis, regeneration, and repair of neurons through the secretion

of steroid hormones. The conclusion provided a general summarization of the majority of the

paper, ultimately supporting the use of music therapy as a suitable method of recovery for people

with neurodegenerative diseases. The references include 62 sources in which were used to write

the medical hypothesis. The research conducted in this study will be greatly beneficial to my

research topic by allowing me to analyze the past data that has been collected solely on how the

brain is affected by music.

For my research project, I aim to answer the question of what the best means of recovery

is for people with neurodegenerative conditions. The three options I am assessing are music

therapy, medication, and devices implanted in the brain. According to my source, music therapy

is deemed to be a reliable source of recovery for multiple reasons. The studies that were

conducted showed that music enhances synaptic plasticity in the brain. “Music affects neuronal

learning and readjustment (response of brain cells to sound and music stimuli, and changes in

cell counts), and this effect lasts for a long period of time. The relationship between music and

steroid hormones is not limited to musical ability. In the field of behavioral endocrinology and

neuroendocrinology, many studies have documented that musical stimulation (listening) affects

various biochemical substances.” (Fukui 1) For example, when listening, steroid levels such as

cortisol, testosterone, and estrogen are affected, and stress is successfully alleviated. Stress

reduction is primarily attributed to reductions in corticosteroid levels, which act on the

hippocampus, amygdaloid complex and frontal lobe, but in excess can cause damage to neurons.
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In addition to the alleviation of stress, research reported that musical activities like listening and

playing alter steroid secretion and are expected to relieve psychological states like anxiety and

tension in elderly people. Steroid levels increased in patients with low hormone levels and

decreased in patients with high hormone levels. Regarding the use of hormone replacement

therapy, side effects are a common occurrence, deterring patients from choosing it as the best

option of recovery. Contrary to the implantation of neural devices and HRT, music therapy

grants an array of beneficial effects, is non-invasive, and is also easily accessible.

The most crucial points this article provides the reader with are the physical ways in

which the human brain is affected by music, the psychological ways in which people are affected

through both listening and playing an instrument, and the explanation of how music therapy has

the potential to restore plasticity in the brain and help patients with severe medical conditions

recover. While the studies done in this source have made great contributions to the medical

discourse community, the discovery of the entirety of all the effects of music on the brain and the

reasons behind it have not yet been revealed. The reason I chose this particular source for my

rhetorical analysis was because of the direct information provided in the medical hypothesis

supporting my claim that music therapy is the best means of recovery with individuals with

neurodegenerative disorders. I am able to further support my point by using the information I

found from this source to be able to explain why music can lead to the improvement of neural

function and help people suffering from these conditions.

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Works Cited

Fukui, H. and Toyoshima, K. (2019). Music facilitate the neurogenesis, regeneration and repair

of neurons. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0306987708002880