Photo by Vitaly Gariev on Unsplash
Epilepsy affects millions, but few people know about the fascinating relationship between music and epilepsy, and that research is looking at how music may help reduce seizure activity in some individuals. Dr. Phillip Pearl, Harvard neurologist and professional jazz musician, shares how sound is being studied as a tool in epilepsy care (and many other applications).
Guest
Dr. Phillip Pearl is Director of Epilepsy and Clinical Neurophysiology at Boston Children’s Hospital and Professor of Neurology at Harvard Medical School. He is also a professional jazz musician and part of the Music and Health Institute at Berklee College of Music.
Notes
We discuss:
- What is epilepsy and how common is it? How likely is it that we know someone affected by it?
- Music and epilepsy’s fascinating relationship, including musicogenic seizures, audiogenic seizures, and auditory seizures.
- How can music be utilized as an intervention for epilepsy?
- When should music be considered as a therapeutic tool for epilepsy?
- What has research already shown about this application of music? What research is ongoing in this space?
- How does being a musician change how Dr. Pearl asks clinical or research questions about epilepsy?
Connect/Other Resources
- I mention the documentary Alive Inside
- Studies on music and epilepsy:
Other episodes we mentioned or that you may enjoy:
- Ep. 222: The Miracle “Dementia Pill” That Isn’t a Pill… But IS Lowering Costs and Improving Outcomes
- Ep. 96: Restoring function and quality of life for those with Multiple Sclerosis; with Betsy Hartman, MT-BC
- Ep.39: Parkinson’s Disease Interventions with Music; “Music provides structure for movement.” Marion Haase, M.M.
- Ep. 4: Music Rewires the Brain (Maegan Morrow)
- View all episodes related to Science & Health
In-Episode Promo
SHEET MUSIC DIRECT: One of my favorite ways to enhance my life with music is to play just-for-fun songs on the piano at the end of the day. My current favorites are ABBA songs and songs from the 80s, like We Are The World. With Sheet Music Direct, I can explore new music, track my favorites, play and download scores any time, from any device. This online treasure trove of digital sheet music is powered by music publisher Hal Leonard and has over a million arrangements—ready to view, listen to, and download instantly. Prices start at just $0.99 and include selections for every instrument, genre, and skill level. My family has relied on Sheet Music Direct for years for musical joy and convenience. For an entire musical library at your fingertips, visit SheetMusicDirect.com.
Coda
I ask all my guests to close out our conversation with a musical ending (Coda), and I’m switching up the question in 2026! For this year’s musical ending, I’m asking guests to share a musical tool that they wish more people knew about. This could be a book or blog, an app, therapeutic tool, or anything that enables them to enhance their life with music.
Dr. Pearl recommends: Year of Wonder: Classical Music to Enjoy Day by Day (AND Another Year of Wonder), by Clemency Burton-Hill.
Closing Words
If this is a topic that interests you, I put links in the show notes to two studies showing promising research about music’s use as a therapeutic tool for epilepsy.
You may already know that all Enhance Life with Music episodes can be found listed by category so you can quickly find topics most related to your interests. In addition to Science & Health, the other 3 categories are :
Just go to the Archives tab of my website.
You can always connect with me on email (mindy@mpetersonmusic.com), Facebook, Instagram, X, or LinkedIn; and by signing up for my monthly e-Newsletter.
Thank you so much for joining me today. Until next time, may your life be enhanced with music.
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