Neurologic Music Therapy for Fine Motor Recovery in Huntington's Disease: A Proof-of-Concept Magnetoencephalography Evaluation.

BackgroundFine motor impairment is common in Huntington's disease (HD). Neurologic Music Therapy (NMT) is the therapeutic application of music for neurorehabilitation. Measured by magnetoencephalography (MEG), the modulation of motor-related oscillations via NMT is associated with restorative motor training. In HD, the impact of NMT on fine motor function and associated neurophysiology have yet to be explored.ObjectiveConduct a proof-of-concept study to determine the feasibility of NMT and MEG evaluation in people with HD.MethodsThree participants with HD and impaired fine motor skills underwent a five-week NMT intervention. Pre- and post-intervention assessments included the Unified HD Rating Scale, the Grooved Pegboard Test, and MEG recording during a cued finger-tapping task.ResultsThere was 100% adherence to the pre and post visit assessments and MEG, and 93% adherence to the NMT intervention. A visual increase in evoked beta/gamma power at cue onset along with an earlier evoked beta response at 500-800 msec post cue were observed in the neuromagnetic data after NMT.ConclusionNMT-based fine motor rehabilitation, and its evaluation with neurophysiological studies, are feasible in HD. More work is needed to determine if this intervention holds potential to influence functional change or spectral patterns of motor cortical activity.