The power of music is helping stroke patients communicate again by singing what they want to say, thanks to an experimental treatment called melodic intonation therapy (MIT) currently being studied at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston.

When George Reppucci suffered a stroke on his left side almost three years ago, he lost most of his ability to speak. But he could sing. That made him the perfect candidate for a trial of MIT. Using musical rhythms and tones to first sing phrases and then say them, therapists helped put the words back in Reppucci’s mouth.

“The therapeutic approach of melodic intonation therapy is to try to engage the brain structures on the right side of the brain, which are already there but are not typically used,” says Dr. Gottfried Schlaug, assistant professor of neurology and staff physician at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.

The slow process begins with a basic rhythm and simple two-toned melody, explains Schlaug, who has been studying melodic intonation therapy for two years. So far, he says all five of his patients have shown varying degrees of improvement—none more so than Reppucci.

This article appeared in Making Music Magazine (July/August 2006).