Doctors at the University of Cincinnati are researching innovative ways to combat brain fog, and a new study has tested the waters of virtual music therapy.
According to a report by WFMZ-TV, neuro-oncologist Dr. Soma Sengupta and her team developed an app called ARMcan Active Receptive Music that uses music therapy to allow users to create their own songs.
"I wanted an app that patients could use to express their musical abilities," Sengupta said. "In other words, having musical twists where you could layer genres and create your own music track."
WFMZ TV
The technology, Sengupta added, "helps rewire and exercise areas of the brain that normally wouldn't."
The team's research also emphasizes how useful music can be outside of the realm of entertainment. According to the University of Cincinnati, Sengupta's research is applicable beyond cancer patients who have received chemotherapy and are now suffering from brain fog, as those suffering from the condition due to COVID-19 can benefit from similar stimulation.
The app is reportedly being implemented in a randomized study by Sengupta and her colleagues in which breast cancer survivors suffering from brain fog are assigned to one of two groups: those who listen to music 15 minutes a day and those who write their own music for 15 minutes a day. They will also receive MRI scans at six, 12 and 18 months to track progress and measure how effective this new form of music therapy can be.
