Research › Epilepsy & Seizures
The acute effect of music on interictal epileptiform discharges
STS Instructor Authored by Robert Turner
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Study at a glance
- Area
- Epilepsy & Seizures
- Study type
- Controlled study
- Authors
- Turner RP
- Journal
- Epilepsy & Behavior
- Year
- 2004
- Participants
- 4 (2 analysable)
- Population
- Children
- Protocol
- passive music listening (Mozart K448 vs control music)
Key findings
- Four children with rolandic epilepsy were recorded; only two could be analysed
- Spikes per minute fell by about 34% to 51% during Mozart K448 compared with baseline
- No such reduction was seen with the control piece
- Tiny pilot sample; results are preliminary
A very small randomised, single-blind, crossover pilot trial testing whether listening to Mozart's Sonata for Two Pianos (K448) reduces epileptiform spikes in the EEG of children with benign rolandic epilepsy. Four children had four-hour awake EEG recordings, and spike rates were compared across baseline, the Mozart piece and a control piece (Beethoven's Für Elise). Only two children had enough waking spikes to analyse; in them, spike rates fell by roughly a third to a half during the Mozart piece but not during the control music.