University offers musical therapy for various diseases

University offers therapy practice for various diseases Turkey's first and only Music Therapy Practice and Research Center (MÜTEM) at Üsküdar University offers music therapy for patients with depression, hyperactivity, diabetes, insomnia, panic attacks, learning disabilities and attention deficit disorder. Music therapy is also used to reduce stress and nervousness as well as alleviate headaches, neck pain, myalgia, arthralgia and backaches. Music therapy was a common treatment for physical and mental diseases in Ottoman-era hospitals and is currently given as a practical course at certain universities. In September 2013, Üsküdar University began to offer music therapy at MÜTEM. With the establishment of the center, patients, students and university staff were introduced to music therapy.

The university also gave Turkey's first music therapy certificate course. Under the guidance of MÜTEM manager and pianist Sevda Asqarova and expert musicians, patients play instruments and sing songs at the center. Patients can play any music they want and receive music therapy sessions in groups. After choosing a music type, patients listen to or play first energetic and then relaxing music, according to their health status. A reverse practice can also be practiced. Speaking to Anadolu Agency (AA), Asqarova said the center opened with the initiatives of Chancellor Professor Nevzat Tarhan. She said they want to bring music therapy to a new dimension. Asqarova said that many scientists in the Ottoman Empire like Evliya Çelebi and Ibn Sina mentioned the relation between music and mood in their books. She said music activates brain waves. "We follow our patients with physical examination, survey, tomography, MRI, Doppler scan, EEG and other brain imaging techniques and research methods," she said.

The findings help them to understand how music is processed in the brain and find out related stages. "Music is the best field of art that reflects different reactions of the human soul. We can see the psychological, neurological and physiological changes in patients while they are listening to music or playing an instrument during therapy sessions. Music nourishes not only soul, but also brain. It is a kind of psychotherapy that activates the brain and sends different signals," she said.