APA
Bonakdarpour, B., & Takarabe, C. (2026). Music-Based Interventions for Neurocognitive Disorders. In P. L. Pearl & S. Arfaie (Eds.), Music, Medicine, and the Neurobiology of Creativity. Cambridge University Press.
CHAPTER 18 · Music’s Neurological Nexus in Clinical Practice
Music-Based Interventions for Neurocognitive Disorders
Abstract
As discussed in this chapter, music can influence and modulate multiple brain networks, affecting emotions, motor, speech/language, navigation, executive function, and memory, based on principles of neuroplasticity and neurorehabilitation. We discuss how music as an intervention for dementia has been used since the mid-20th century and is now an important role in the care of persons with neurocognitive disorders. More robust research, however, is needed to prove its power and integration into standard care and foster insurance reimbursement. Music-based interventions, categorized as expressive and receptive, are utilized for non-fluent aphasias and dementia. Specific approaches include playlists, individualized receptive interventions, interactive music-making, and choral singing. Given our better understanding and awareness of music-based Interventions, future work in this area will focus on a better understanding of the mechanisms of action and providing stronger evidence of their efficacy using large-scale controlled clinical trials.
Keywords
- aphasia
- dementia
- executive function
- memory
- music-based interventions
- neurocognitive disorders
- neuroplasticity
- music therapy
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Cite this chapter
Chapter references below omit unverified page ranges and chapter-specific DOIs.
AMA
Bonakdarpour B, Takarabe C. Music-Based Interventions for Neurocognitive Disorders. In: Pearl PL, Arfaie S, eds. Music, Medicine, and the Neurobiology of Creativity. Cambridge University Press; 2026.
Vancouver
Bonakdarpour B, Takarabe C. Music-Based Interventions for Neurocognitive Disorders. In: Pearl PL, Arfaie S, editors. Music, Medicine, and the Neurobiology of Creativity. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press; 2026.
Chicago
Bonakdarpour, Borna, and Clara Takarabe. “Music-Based Interventions for Neurocognitive Disorders.” In Music, Medicine, and the Neurobiology of Creativity, edited by Phillip L. Pearl and Saman Arfaie. Cambridge University Press, 2026.
BibTeX
@incollection{chapter18_2026,
author = {Bonakdarpour, Borna and Takarabe, Clara},
title = {Music-Based Interventions for Neurocognitive Disorders},
booktitle = {Music, Medicine, and the Neurobiology of Creativity},
editor = {Pearl, Phillip L. and Arfaie, Saman},
publisher = {Cambridge University Press},
year = {2026}
}Harvard
Bonakdarpour, B. and Takarabe, C. (2026) “Music-Based Interventions for Neurocognitive Disorders”, in Pearl, P.L. and Arfaie, S. (eds.) Music, Medicine, and the Neurobiology of Creativity. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.