Therapeutic effect of tempo in Mozart's "Sonata for two pianos" (K. 448) in patients with epilepsy: An electroencephalographic study

Rui Ding; Huajuan Tang; Ying Liu; Yitian Yin; Bo Yan; Yingqi Jiang; Paule-J Toussaint; Yang Xia; Alan C Evans; Dong Zhou; Xiaoting Hao; Jing Lu; Dezhong Yao

doi:10.1016/j.yebeh.2023.109323

Therapeutic effect of tempo in Mozart's "Sonata for two pianos" (K. 448) in patients with epilepsy: An electroencephalographic study

Epilepsy Behav. 2023 Aug:145:109323. doi: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2023.109323. Epub 2023 Jun 23.

Authors

Rui Ding¹, Huajuan Tang², Ying Liu³, Yitian Yin⁴, Bo Yan⁵, Yingqi Jiang⁶, Paule-J Toussaint⁷, Yang Xia⁸, Alan C Evans⁹, Dong Zhou¹⁰, Xiaoting Hao¹¹, Jing Lu¹², Dezhong Yao¹³

Affiliations

¹ The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, Sichuan, China; Center for Information in Medicine, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, Sichuan, China; Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada, H3A 2B4. Electronic address: rui.ding@std.uestc.edu.cn.
² Department of Neurology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan, China; Department of Neurology, 363 Hospital, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan, China. Electronic address: t_tanghj@163.com.
³ The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, Sichuan, China; Center for Information in Medicine, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, Sichuan, China. Electronic address: 852397654@qq.com.
⁴ The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, Sichuan, China; Center for Information in Medicine, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, Sichuan, China. Electronic address: 2629028799@qq.com.
⁵ Department of Neurology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan, China. Electronic address: yanbo96@163.com.
⁶ Department of Neurology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan, China. Electronic address: rzx721109@foxmail.com.
⁷ Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada, H3A 2B4. Electronic address: paule.toussaint@mcgill.ca.
⁸ Center for Information in Medicine, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, Sichuan, China. Electronic address: xiayang@uestc.edu.cn.
⁹ Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada, H3A 2B4. Electronic address: alan.evans@mcgill.ca.
¹⁰ Department of Neurology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan, China. Electronic address: zhoudong66@yahoo.de.
¹¹ Department of Neurology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan, China. Electronic address: sherryhao@wchscu.cn.
¹² The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, Sichuan, China; Center for Information in Medicine, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, Sichuan, China. Electronic address: lujing@uestc.edu.cn.
¹³ The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, Sichuan, China; Center for Information in Medicine, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, Sichuan, China. Electronic address: dyao@uestc.edu.cn.

PMID: 37356223
DOI: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2023.109323

Abstract

Background: Mozart's "Sonata for two pianos" (Köchel listing 448) has proven effective as music therapy for patients with epilepsy, but little is understood about the mechanism of which feature in it impacted therapeutic effect. This study explored whether tempo in that piece is important for its therapeutic effect.

Methods: We measured the effects of tempo in Mozart's sonata on clinical and electroencephalographic parameters of 147 patients with epilepsy who listened to the music at slow, original, or accelerated speed. As a control, patients listened to Haydn's Symphony no. 94 at original speed.

Results: Listening to Mozart's piece at original speed significantly reduced the number of interictal epileptic discharges. It decreased beta power in the frontal, parietal, and occipital regions, suggesting increased auditory attention and reduced visual attention. It also decreased functional connectivity among frontal, parietal, temporal, and occipital brain regions, also suggesting increased auditory attention and reduced visual attention. No such effects were observed after patients listened to the slow or fast version of Mozart's piece, or to Haydn's symphony at normal speed.

Conclusions: These results suggest that Mozart's "Sonata for two pianos" may exert therapeutic effects by regulating attention when played at its original tempo, but not slower or faster. These findings may help guide the design and optimization of music therapy against epilepsy.

Keywords: Electroencephalogram; Epilepsy; Functional connectivity; Music therapy; Tempo.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Acoustic Stimulation / methods
Auditory Perception / physiology
Brain
Epilepsy* / therapy
Humans
Music Therapy* / methods
Music*

Substances

zaleplon