CHAPTER 20 · Music’s Neurological Nexus in Clinical Practice
Epilepsy is a neurological condition that affects 50 million people worldwide. Of those affected, 30% of individuals do not experience a decrease in symptomology while taking anti-seizure medication and continue to have seizure activity. These individuals qualify for more aggressive and invasive treatment, which can include brain resection of the seizure onset zone or the implantation of a stimulation device. While both methods help many individuals experience seizure freedom, some individual’s seizures persist. There is growing evidence that music, specifically Mozart’s Sonata K. 448, can have antiepileptic effects. This chapter will examine the many studies and meta-analyses that have assessed the effects of Mozart’s K. 448 on epilepsy. By measuring seizure and interictal epileptiform discharge (IEDs) rates, many of these studies have found that Mozart’s Sonata K. 448, more than other types of music, can lower epileptic activity. While many studies lack large sample sizes and consistency between study designs, there seems to be promise in using music therapy, specifically Mozart’s Sonata K. 448, in creating antiepileptic effects.
REFERENCE THIS CHAPTER
Chapter references below omit unverified page ranges and chapter-specific DOIs.
Bates, K. C., Kanishcheva, A., Casey, M., & Jobst, B. (2026). Music and Epilepsy: Studying the Effects of Mozart’s Sonata K. 448 on the Epileptic Brain. In P. L. Pearl & S. Arfaie (Eds.), Music, Medicine, and the Neurobiology of Creativity. Cambridge University Press.
Bates KC, Kanishcheva A, Casey M, Jobst B. Music and Epilepsy: Studying the Effects of Mozart’s Sonata K. 448 on the Epileptic Brain. In: Pearl PL, Arfaie S, eds. Music, Medicine, and the Neurobiology of Creativity. Cambridge University Press; 2026.
Bates KC, Kanishcheva A, Casey M, Jobst B. Music and Epilepsy: Studying the Effects of Mozart’s Sonata K. 448 on the Epileptic Brain. In: Pearl PL, Arfaie S, editors. Music, Medicine, and the Neurobiology of Creativity. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press; 2026.
Bates, Kathryn C., Anastasia Kanishcheva, Michael Casey, and Barbara Jobst. “Music and Epilepsy: Studying the Effects of Mozart’s Sonata K. 448 on the Epileptic Brain.” In Music, Medicine, and the Neurobiology of Creativity, edited by Phillip L. Pearl and Saman Arfaie. Cambridge University Press, 2026.
@incollection{chapter20_2026,
author = {Bates, Kathryn C and Kanishcheva, Anastasia and Casey, Michael and Jobst, Barbara},
title = {Music and Epilepsy: Studying the Effects of Mozart’s Sonata K. 448 on the Epileptic Brain},
booktitle = {Music, Medicine, and the Neurobiology of Creativity},
editor = {Pearl, Phillip L. and Arfaie, Saman},
publisher = {Cambridge University Press},
year = {2026}
}Bates, K. C., Kanishcheva, A., Casey, M. and Jobst, B. (2026) “Music and Epilepsy: Studying the Effects of Mozart’s Sonata K. 448 on the Epileptic Brain”, in Pearl, P.L. and Arfaie, S. (eds.) Music, Medicine, and the Neurobiology of Creativity. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.