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Modified Classical Music on iPods Helps Toilet Train Liverpool Children

The Liverpool Echo published an article today about the results of a pilot study which examined the effects of modified classical music and a specific protocol to help children with autism and other cognitive and developmental challenges to be toilet trained. This is a world first project, conducted by June Rogers head of NHS Liverpool Community Health’s Integrated Paediatric Continence Service.

Children listened to 30 minutes of music a day through a special audio system which provided the music through both auditory pathways, air and bone conduction. The outcomes are positive and have been presented at European conferences. We now await approval for a large scale clinical trial to confirm these results in a larger sample size.

Continence problems severely impact quality of life, self esteem, and have large costs associated with supporting these children as they enter school. Our protocol holds promise to help children with toilet training problems, reduce costs of services to them, and help them live a happier more fulfilling life.

Note that the program name in the article is incorrect. What is referenced as the Listening Project is supposed to be The Listening Program® developed by Advanced Brain Technologies in Ogden, Utah.

Read the full article

UPDATE: Thank you to the staff at the Liverpool Echo for making the correction to the program name!

The Phantom Sounds of Tinnitus

Published June 23, 2010 auditory system , brain research , neuroscience Leave a Comment
Tags: tinnitus, neuroscience, auditory, inner ear, rauschecker

New neuroscience research suggests relief from the often debilitating mystery sounds generated in the auditory system called tinnitus may some day be alleviated.

I just came across this article in ScienceDaily and wanted to share it. Unfortunately I cannot elaborate in this post, but I am encouraged to see the research interest in exploring the role of the central auditory pathway in tinnitus.

Read the article here http://bit.ly/cJ8L0m

Stress Response System in the Ear Protects Against Hearing Loss

Published May 4, 2010 auditory system , brain research Leave a Comment
Tags: fight-flight, hearing loss, noise induced hearing loss, polyvagal theory, Stephen Porges, stress, stress-response system, The Listening Program, tufts university

The ear serves in part as an environmental monitoring system, sending the brain signals in response to vibrational input to understand the world around us; to move, learn, communicate, adapt, survive and thrive.

The middle ear is the gateway to a neural filtering system that helps us receive auditory information such as human speech and to simultaneously filter out unwanted sound or noise which can damage the delicate structures of the inner ear resulting in hearing loss, hyperacousis, stress, and a host of other problems.

Many recognize the vital connection between the ear and body’s fight-flight response, which is physiologically linked from the middle ear to the vagal regulation system. The polyvagal theory of psychologist Stephen Porges provides a clear understanding of this mechanism. The Listening Program® with bone conduction technology is used in part as a training method to improve the function of this system.

Now a new in vivo study at Tufts University shows for the first time that there is a stress response system within the cochlea (inner ear) that mirrors the signaling pathways of the fight-flight response and protects against noise induced hearing loss. This is an exciting finding that further reveals what a marvel the auditory system is and the critical role it plays in our lives.

New Auditory Channel Identified for Sound Processing

Published February 15, 2010 auditory processing disorder , auditory system , brain research Leave a Comment
Tags: auditory processing, Neuron, neuroscience

Researchers at the University of Oregon have identified a new auditory channel for sound processing. This is an interesting study that could lead to the development of new treatments that could improve auditory processing with implications for better speech discrimination. More information is available in the February 11 issue of journal Neuron.

For the full article please visit ScienceDaily.

Music Shown to Improve Communication in Toddlers with Cochlear Implants

Published January 7, 2010 auditory system , brain research , music research Leave a Comment
Tags: cochlear implant, communication, hearing, music, music therapy, toddlers

A new study reveals that music activities can improve communication in toddlers who have received cochlear implants.

Some infants who are born with impaired hearing and who cannot benefit from hearing aids are likely to gain 90% normal hearing ability by undergoing a cochlear implantation procedure. Following the operation, however, the child — who never heard before — undergoes a long rehabilitation process before he or she can begin to speak.

In the present study, Dr. Dikla Kerem of the University of Haifa examined the particular effects that music therapy has on the potential development of toddlers (aged 2-3 years) who have undergone cochlear implantation, specifically in terms of improving spontaneous communication.

“Music comprises various elements that are also components of language and therefore as a non-verbal form of communication is suitable for communication with these children, when they are still unable to use language. Communicative interactions, especially those initiated by the toddlers, are critical in the development of normal communication, as they are prerequisites for developing and acquiring language,” explains Dr. Kerem. She adds that the toddlers undergoing rehabilitation are under much pressure from their surroundings — especially the parents — to begin talking, and sometimes this pressure makes them become introverted. As such, music therapy lends itself to strengthening these children’s nonverbal communication and thereby lessens the pressure on them for verbal exchange and response.[1]

Music can serve to open up the auditory receptivity of these children, lowering their defenses and providing an opportunity to gradually process and understand the components of sound that make up receptive and expressive language. It is a way into a fragile system in need of gentle stimulation and support.

Read the full article.

[1] University of Haifa (2010, January 7). Music therapy can assist toddlers’ communication rehabilitation process. ScienceDaily. Retrieved January 7, 2010, from http://www.sciencedaily.com /releases/2010/01/100106093636.htm

Webinar-The Listening Program and Autism Spectrum Disorders

Published December 18, 2009 The Listening Program , auditory system , autism , music 4 Comments
Tags: akhil autism foundation, auditory processing, autism, autism spectrum disorders, brain, music listening therapy, The Listening Program

If you have an interest in learning more about The Listening Program® method of music listening therapy please join me for a live webinar this Sunday organized by the Akhil Autism Foundation.

The Listening Program® (TLP) is a music listening therapy that provides engaging brain stimulation to improve performance in school, work and life. This introductory webinar is free and will provide an overview of the auditory system, auditory processing, and how music listening therapy can help improve the life of a child on the autism spectrum.

Date: Sunday, Dec. 20, 2009
Times: USA 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM EST (Eastern Standard Time)
9:00 AM – 10:00 AM MST (Mountain Standard Time)
India 9:30 PM – 10:30 PM IST (Indian Standard Time)

TO REGISTER: https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/790568674

After registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information about the Webinar.

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
PC
Required: Windows® 2000, XP Home, XP Pro, 2003 Server, Vista

Mac
Required: Mac OS® X 10.4 (Tiger®) or newer

Music Program Helps Children with Down Syndrome

Published December 11, 2009 The Listening Program , auditory system , music research Leave a Comment
Tags: bone conduction, caroline newton, down syndrome, down syndrome treatments, gwyneth jeyes, music research, speech and language pathologist, The Listening Program, trisomy 21, world down syndrome congress

Hearing and speech are common challenges for children with Down Syndrome or Trisomy 21. Susceptible to chronic ear fluid and infections, auditory development is a crucial area of focus when taking a comprehensive approach to helping these children reach their innate potential.

If hearing is impacted, so is listening, auditory processing, receptive and expressive language, and cognitive function. One broken link in the chain creates a domino effect in terms of development of learning, behavior and communication.

Music listening therapy is a viable intervention for children with Down Syndrome. We have seen wide and varied success with The Listening Program® over the years, with the greatest success when the music is provided with a specialized audio system we developed called the ABT Bone Conduction Audio System™ that connects to an iPod or portable CD player and delivers the music simultaneously through air conduction and subtle vibrations through bone conduction. This integrated approach delivers a more reliable auditory signal to the brain helping to train it to discriminate sound and support other functions of the autonomic and central nervous systems.

A study was conducted by Gwyneth Jeyes and Caroline Newton in the UK in which a group of kids with Down Syndrome completed just half of the recommended minimum 50 hour protocol of The Listening Program® which is spread over the course of several months, with daily listening sessions of 15 or 30 minutes. These kids ages 5 to 12 yrs listened for just 25 hours and without the added bone conduction training. Even at this level of intervention all but one of the nine children showed improvements in listening, speech and language skills based on parent surveys. Other improvements were also seen in several of the children.

These results were presented in a Poster Session at the 1oth World Down Syndrome Congress in Dublin back in August. While the study is small, the outcomes are consistent with reports from Speech and Language Pathologists and other practitioners using The Listening Program® with their clients with this chromosomal anomaly. I am hopeful that we will see interest in see a larger, controlled study.

Read or download the poster.

New Autism Study Demonstrates The Listening Program Improves Auditory Skills

Published December 2, 2009 The Listening Program , auditory system , autism , music research Leave a Comment
Tags: Advanced Brain Technologies, asd, auditory processing, autism, autism spectrum disorders, music listening therapy

A new study in the UK demonstrates The Listening Program® developed by Advanced Brain Technologies improves auditory skills in children with autism.

“A Study to Establish Whether the Use of The Listening Program is Effective in Improving Auditory Skills for Children with Autism” was presented by Gwyneth Jeyes at the Developmental Practitioners Association Conference “Children Matter” In Nottinghamshire, United Kingdom back in September.

Twelve children on the autism spectrum ranging in age from 5 yrs. 8 mo. to 12 yrs. 4 mo. in Northern Ireland participated in the study. Results from the SCAN-C test for Auditory Processing Disorders demonstrated improvements in auditory skills in all children who completed The Listening Program® method of music listening therapy.

The Listening Program® has been widely used for more than a decade to reduce auditory hypersensitivites, improve auditory discrimination, increase communication skills, and social engagement for children on the autism spectrum. The outcomes of this research are encouraging, consistent with other studies, and warrant the design of a larger, controlled study to explore the feasibility of more widespread use of this music listening therapy method to improve auditory processing skills for children with autism spectrum disorders.

To read the full study

We Read With Our Ears

Published November 12, 2009 The Listening Program , auditory system , brain research , dyslexia 2 Comments
Tags: alfred tomatis, auditory, dyslexia, dyslexic children, nina krause, sensory processing, The Listening Program

It may sound strange but we read with our ears. A recent study at Northwestern provides clear evidence to support the groundbreaking theories developed by the late Alfred Tomatis, M.D. in the mid twentieth century about the role the ear plays in reading.

The vast majority of school-aged children can focus on the voice of a teacher amid the cacophony of the typical classroom thanks to a brain that automatically focuses on relevant, predictable and repeating auditory information, according to new research from Northwestern University.

But for children with developmental dyslexia, the teacher’s voice may get lost in the background noise of banging lockers, whispering children, playground screams and scraping chairs, the researchers say. Their study appears in the Nov. 12 issue of Neuron.

Recent scientific studies suggest that children with developmental dyslexia — a neurological disorder affecting reading and spelling skills in 5 to 10 percent of school aged children — have difficulties separating relevant auditory information from competing noise.

The research from Northwestern University’s Auditory Neuroscience Laboratory not only confirms those findings but presents biological evidence that children who report problems hearing speech in noise also suffer from a measurable neural impairment that adversely affects their ability to make use of regularities in the sound environment.

“The ability to sharpen or fine-tune repeating elements is crucial to hearing speech in noise because it allows for superior ‘tagging’ of voice pitch, an important cue in picking out a particular voice within background noise,” said Nina Kraus, Hugh Knowles Professor of Communication Sciences and Neurobiology and director of the Auditory Neuroscience Laboratory.

In the article “Context-dependent encoding in the human auditory brainstem relates to hearing speech-in-noise: Implications for developmental dyslexia,” Kraus and co-investigators Bharath Chandrasekaran, Jane Hornickel, Erika Skoe and Trent Nicol demonstrate that the remarkable ability of the brain to tune into relevant aspects in the soundscape is carried out by an adaptive auditory system that continuously changes its activity based on the demands of context.1 Click here for full article.

These findings are consistent with part of the underlying theories behind our work at Advanced Brain Technologies. This research and studies on musical training at Northwestern provides support to warrant further studies on the potential of using music listening therapy (The Listening Program®) as an intervention for struggling readers.

1 Retrieved November 12, 2009 http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2009-11/nu-nbf110309.php

What is The Listening Program?

Published October 26, 2009 The Listening Program , auditory processing disorder , auditory system , autism , music 2 Comments
Tags: music listening therapy, music video, The Listening Program, the listening program reviews

I just wanted to share a new video released today called What is The Listening Program®? It includes interviews with professionals and others that have used this music listening therapy to improve their lives. If you have 15 minutes please take a look and let me know what you think! Video Link

The Brain Understanding Itself