Rachel V Thomas

IIT Delhi, AIIMS Develop First Hindi Music Therapy for Stroke Patients: How Survivors Find Their Voice

Stroke is among the leading causes of disability worldwide, and many survivors are left struggling with speech difficulties. After a stroke, some people lose the ability to speak fluently despite being able to understand language and, remarkably, sing familiar songs they have known for years.

This connection between music and speech recovery forms the basis of Melodic Intonation Therapy (MIT), an evidence-based approach that uses melody, rhythm, and repetition to help patients regain communication abilities.

<h2>How Music Reconnects The Brain After Stroke</h2>

Music therapy works by activating brain networks that remain functional even when areas responsible for speech or movement are damaged.

Speaking to HealthandMe, Dr. Sudhir Kumar, Neurologist at Apollo Hospitals, Hyderabad, explained that rhythm helps retrain the brain’s motor circuits. In stroke patients with movement difficulties, rhythmic auditory stimulation — where movements are synchronised with a steady beat — can help improve walking patterns.

“Music therapy taps into brain networks that survive a stroke even when speech or movement pathways are damaged. Rhythm helps retrain the brain's motor circuits. Patients with gait difficulties often walk more fluidly when moving to a steady beat, a technique we call rhythmic auditory stimulation,” Dr. Sudhir said.

Dr. K. K. Jindal, Director – Neurology, CK Birla Hospital, Delhi, said that after a stroke, the brain can reorganize itself and form new neural connections through a process called neuroplasticity.

“Music, and in particular rhythm and melody, can cause several areas of the brain to be activated at once,” Dr. Jindal told HealthandMe.

He added that techniques like Melodic Intonation Therapy can support communication in patients with speech difficulties, while rhythmic auditory stimulation has helped improve gait, physical coordination, and balance during stroke recovery.

Dr Kumar said for patients with aphasia — a condition that affects speech and language after stroke — singing can engage the right hemisphere of the brain, allowing some patients to produce words through melody even when they are unable to speak normally.

Experts said that beyond neurological benefits, music may also help reduce anxiety and depression, which are common after stroke and can slow recovery.

“Music therapy is not a replacement for conventional rehabilitation, but a scientifically grounded complement to it,” Dr. Sudhir said.

Dr. Jindal also stated that while music therapy cannot substitute treatments such as physiotherapy or speech therapy, it can serve as an effective supportive measure during recovery.

<h2>IIT Delhi, AIIMS Develop First Hindi Version of Music Therapy</h2>

Building on this approach, researchers from IIT Delhi, in collaboration with AIIMS New Delhi and the Institute of Human Behaviour and Allied Sciences (IHBAS), have developed the first Hindi version of Melodic Intonation Therapy.

While MIT has traditionally been used in English, researchers adapted the therapy for Hindi by modifying words, melodies, and rhythmic patterns to match the language’s natural stress patterns and cadence.

The team developed exercises based on how Hindi speakers communicate in everyday life, making the therapy more culturally and linguistically relevant for Indian patients.

The pilot study, published in the international journal Aphasiology, was conducted between December 2023 and March 2024.

The study included six Hindi-speaking stroke survivors who underwent 40 therapy sessions each. Each session lasted 45 to 60 minutes and was conducted by trained speech therapists.

All participants completed the program and showed clinically meaningful improvements. Researchers reported improvements in sentence formation, speech fluency, and quality-of-life measures.

“Patients were able to string together longer sentences, spoke more freely, and reported gains in their quality of life. There were no adverse effects,” said Prof. Rahul Garg, one of the researchers leading the study.

Researchers cautioned that the findings are preliminary due to the small number of participants involved and said that further research is needed to confirm the results.

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Stroke is among the leading causes of disability worldwide, and many survivors are left struggling with speech difficulties. After a stroke, some people lose the ability to speak fluently despite being able to understand language and, remarkably, sing familiar songs they have known for years.This connection between music and speech recovery forms the basis of Melodic Intonation Therapy (MIT), an evidence-based approach that uses melody, rhythm, and repetition to help patients regain communication abilities.How Music Reconnects The Brain After StrokeMusic therapy works by activating brain networks that remain functional even when areas responsible for speech or movement are damaged.Speaking to HealthandMe, Dr. Sudhir Kumar, Neurologist at Apollo Hospitals, Hyderabad, explained that rhythm helps retrain the brain’s motor circuits. In stroke patients with movement difficulties, rhythmic auditory stimulation — where movements are synchronised with a steady beat — can help improve walking patterns.“Music therapy taps into brain networks that survive a stroke even when speech or movement pathways are damaged. Rhythm helps retrain the brain's motor circuits. Patients with gait difficulties often walk more fluidly when moving to a steady beat, a technique we call rhythmic auditory stimulation,” Dr. Sudhir said.Dr. K. K. Jindal, Director – Neurology, CK Birla Hospital, Delhi, said that after a stroke, the brain can reorganize itself and form new neural connections through a process called neuroplasticity.“Music, and in particular rhythm and melody, can cause several areas of the brain to be activated at once,” Dr. Jindal told HealthandMe.He added that techniques like Melodic Intonation Therapy can support communication in patients with speech difficulties, while rhythmic auditory stimulation has helped improve gait, physical coordination, and balance during stroke recovery.Dr Kumar said for patients with aphasia — a condition that affects speech and language after stroke — singing can engage the right hemisphere of the brain, allowing some patients to produce words through melody even when they are unable to speak normally.Experts said that beyond neurological benefits, music may also help reduce anxiety and depression, which are common after stroke and can slow recovery.“Music therapy is not a replacement for conventional rehabilitation, but a scientifically grounded complement to it,” Dr. Sudhir said.Dr. Jindal also stated that while music therapy cannot substitute treatments such as physiotherapy or speech therapy, it can serve as an effective supportive measure during recovery.IIT Delhi, AIIMS Develop First Hindi Version of Music TherapyBuilding on this approach, researchers from IIT Delhi, in collaboration with AIIMS New Delhi and the Institute of Human Behaviour and Allied Sciences (IHBAS), have developed the first Hindi version of Melodic Intonation Therapy.While MIT has traditionally been used in English, researchers adapted the therapy for Hindi by modifying words, melodies, and rhythmic patterns to match the language’s natural stress patterns and cadence.The team developed exercises based on how Hindi speakers communicate in everyday life, making the therapy more culturally and linguistically relevant for Indian patients.Pilot Study Shows Improvement The pilot study, published in the international journal Aphasiology, was conducted between December 2023 and March 2024.The study included six Hindi-speaking stroke survivors who underwent 40 therapy sessions each. Each session lasted 45 to 60 minutes and was conducted by trained speech therapists.All participants completed the program and showed clinically meaningful improvements. Researchers reported improvements in sentence formation, speech fluency, and quality-of-life measures.“Patients were able to string together longer sentences, spoke more freely, and reported gains in their quality of life. There were no adverse effects,” said Prof. Rahul Garg, one of the researchers leading the study.Researchers cautioned that the findings are preliminary due to the small number of participants involved and said that further research is needed to confirm the results.

iit delhi, aiims develop first hindi music therapy for stroke patients: how survivors find their voice

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IIT Delhi, AIIMS Develop First Hindi Music Therapy for Stroke Patients: How Survivors Find Their Voice

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