NIH is collaborating with other federal agencies to support funding opportunities and programs that study the application of music in health settings. Basic scientists, clinical researchers, musicians, educators, and music therapists will play an integral role in increasing our understanding of how the brain interacts with music, and this understanding is providing a foundation for promoting health and treating disease. To achieve this, Sound Health will focus on the following research:

Translational and Clinical

Better integrate mechanistic understanding with music therapy approaches
Develop and validate biomarkers for music interventions
Investigate the question of “dosing” in music interventions
Explore how music is “special” and develop methods to better understand and predict individual differences in responses to music interventions