Music therapy service founded by Gibbstown man will have a free workshop for those affected by Parkinson's disease

A music therapy service founded by a Gibbstown man will have a free workshop for those affected by Parkinson's disease, to coincide with Parkinson’s Awareness Day today (Tuesday)

Neurolinks Music Therapy, the brainchild of Shane Cassidy is collaborating with Ireland’s largest Parkinson’s charity Move4Parkinson’s, who are organising a free workshop from 2-5pm on Friday April 28 in Killiney, Dublin. Attendees will also have the opportunity to participate in a workshop to experience some of the music therapy techniques that would frequently be used in therapy sessions.

Neurologic Music Therapy techniques have been specifically developed to target many of the difficulties experienced by people with Parkinson’s. These include difficulties with movement and walking, changes to their voice as well as mood related difficulties.

“We’re excited about our collaboration with Move4Parkinson’s” says Dr. Shane Cassidy who splits his time between The National Rehab Dun Laoghaire & running his own Neuro Music Therapy Clinic in Dublin. “We share a similar mission and vision to support our clients and empower them to realise their full potential."

There is a growing body of research that demonstrates the efficacy of music therapy, and in particular, Neurological Music Therapy, to support people with Parkinson’s as Shane explains:

"The research base that demonstrates the clinical improvements are compelling and suggest that this could be a promising intervention for improving gait deficits as well as communication deficits in this population" he said.

Music therapy provides a safe space and medium through which people can explore and process their experience of living with Parkinson’s. Using techniques such as musical improvisation, lyric analysis and song writing with the therapist or as part of a group can help people express emotions and work through their experiences in a safe, non-threatening way, with the music providing opportunities for both verbal and non-verbal expression.

"Many people with Parkinson’s experience problems walking, with difficulties starting, suddenly freezing, or festination," he said. The auditory and motor systems are closely linked, and the brain circuitry involved in movement plays a role in auditory processing. It stands to reason, therefore, that the use of music and in particular, rhythm, could be effective in supporting people with movement. Rhythmic auditory stimulation (RAS) is a technique that is frequently used in our sessions at Neurolinks.”

"This involves using a metronome or live music to help a person move faster or slower, overcome freezing, or change gait patterns. “It works to entrain or synchronise both the auditory and motor systems by providing an external auditory cue.”

The goal for this type of session is to co-ordinate a person’s walking pace and rhythm with the beat of the music that they hear. This helps people to work towards achieving their optimal walking pace, but also aids balance and stability, which in turn may reduce the incidence and risk of falls. This pace is carefully selected by the music therapist, and is tailored specifically to each client. Where possible, a client’s musical preference is incorporated into the gait training.

Several research studies have shown that music promotes neuroplasticity, or the ability for the brain to rewire and create new pathways in response to new experiences, which may lead to sustained improvements for people’s mobility and communication.

"Music has been shown to increase our levels of dopamine, a neurotransmitter associated with many body functions such as movement and memory as well as feelings of pleasure, reward and motivation. Music has also been shown to decrease levels of cortisol, the primary stress hormone.

Shane grew up in Gibbstown with a keen interest in music, learning both piano and clarinet in Navan from an early age.

"From a very young age, I knew that I wanted to pursue a career in music. Upon leaving school in St. Patrick's Classical School in Navan, I went on to study music in Trinity College, after which I did a H.Dip in primary school teaching. Having worked as a teacher for 6 years, I left that to pursue a Master's in Music Therapy in the only training course in Ireland at the University of Limerick. During this training, the clinical placements were a large component."

Two of Shane's placements were in the neuro rehabilitation setting, one in Royal Hospital or Neurodisability, Putney, London and the other on home turf at the National Rehabilitation Hospital (NRH) in Dublin.

"I became particularly interested in the neurological field, and could see the profound impact that music and all of its elements could have in supporting people living with neurological conditions," he said. "Neurological Music Therapy is an evidence based neuroscientific approach to music therapy. This interest led me to pursue a PhD, which assessed the impact of Neurologic Music Therapy for adults and children living with an acquired brain injury."

Shane says he always feels "so privileged" to be able to support people in what is often a very challenging and difficult time in their lives.

"From adults or children who have had a catastrophic brain or spinal cord injury, to people who have received life altering diagnoses, to neurodivergent children, I enjoy the broad spectrum of people and personalities that I get to work with. The lack of services in the community for people living with neurological conditions is well documented, and from early on in my music therapy career, set the goal of providing a service that could in some way start to fulfill that need."

Contact info@move4parkinsons.com or call 01-2950060 for more information.