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Although music therapy is a hot topic, its mechanisms of action are still poorly understood. The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM), a division of the federal government that investigates unconventional therapies, invited Aniruddh Patel to talk about the possible effects of musical training on language and speech processing. Below is a question and answer session with Dr. Patel from the NCCAM blog.
If you'd like to see the full NCCAM lecture, "Exploring the Impact of Music on Brain Function," it's up on NIH videocast.