Music and musical sonification for the rehabilitation of Parkinsonian dysgraphia: Conceptual framework

Music has been shown to enhance motor control in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). Notably, musical rhythm is perceived as an external auditory cue that helps PD patients to better control movements. The rationale of such effects is that motor control based on auditory guidance would activate a compensatory brain network that minimizes the recruitment of the defective pathway involving the basal ganglia. Would associating music to movement improve its perception and control in PD? Musical sonification consists in modifying in real-time the playback of a preselected music according to some movement parameters. The validation of such a method is underway for handwriting in PD patients. When confirmed, this study will strengthen the clinical interest of musical sonification in motor control and (re)learning in PD.