Studies related to music

Assessing the Use of Music and Brain Stimulation in Parkinson's

Western Interdisciplinary Research Building (WIRB)

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a debilitating disorder with motor and cognitive symptoms, including gait (or walk) disturbances, which are related to falls. Traditional treatments, including pharmacotherapy and deep brain stimulation, improve motor symptoms, but have limited effects on gait impairments, and also have side effects that can worsen gait deficits. There is evidence that Rhythmic Auditory Stimulation (RAS) through music improves gait, as does transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), a type of non-invasive brain stimulation. Therefore, this study aims to understand how brain stimulation can influence movement, especially when combined with music.

The neural mechanisms of rhythm and music perception

Western Interdisciplinary Research Building (WIRB) & Robarts Research Institute (RRI)

Have you ever wondered if how you experience a song or a movie is the same way someone else experiences that song or movie? That is what we are interested in understanding! We will use functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to identify and examine the brain areas that examine what happens in your brain when you listen to music.

Both male and female

18 years old to 35 years old

Normal vision and hearing

The effects of beat and non-beat factors on gait and the neural mechanisms of beat perception in patients with Parkinson’s disease

Western Interdisciplinary Research Building (WIRB)

The purpose of this study is to understand how the areas of the brain that control movement process certain kinds of music. In this study, you will be asked to listen to and rate some music clips, do some rhythm-related behavioral tasks, and walk along to music.

Both male and female

18 years old to 70 years old

Healthy Volunteers & Volunteers with Parkinson's disease