Phonotherapy – a new biological treatment proposal for the augmentation of pharmacotherapy in psychiatry and neurology

Abstract

Purpose: Phonotherapy is a new type of biological treatment in psychiatry. It is a modern form of music therapy in which selected musical frequencies are used for treatment, which may have a health-promoting effect. The aim of this study was to review the available research on the use of phonotherapy in medicine, as well as to present the perspectives for its use. Views: So far, there have been several interesting studies on the effectiveness of phonotherapy in the treatment of depression, fibromyalgia and in alleviating the effects of stress. In small groups of patients, it has been shown to positively affect mood, improve anhedonia and relieve pain. All the studies involving human subjects have demonstrated the effectiveness and good tolerance of phonotherapy. An experimental study was also carried out with mouse models of dementia syndromes indicating the potential beneficial effect of phonotherapy in the treatment of dementia. The researchers found that phonotherapy can increase the number of oligodendrocytes and reduce the accumulation of b-amyloid deposits. On the basis of that research it was possible to create both an experimental and, so far, hypothetical clinical model explaining the mechanism of phonotherapy. Conclusions: Phonotherapy is a new proposed form of biological treatment that may be effective in the treatment of depressive and stress-related disorders as well as dementia. A new mobile application, lifeAPP, discussed in the article, may be useful in conducting research on the effectiveness of phonotherapy. The results of the studies conducted to date on the influence of phonotherapy on humans are promising; however, it is necessary to conduct further studies involving larger groups of patients.