Music and Music Therapy Interventions in Clinical Practice

This textbook aims to provide practical and comprehensive guidance on the application of music and music therapy in clinical settings. The chapters are written with an evidence-based approach. The first part of the volume defines the psychological, biological, and neuroscientific basis of the therapeutic use of music. Then, various chapters describe the main application techniques (both active and receptive) exploring their therapeutic rationale, purposes, applications in preventive and therapeutic-rehabilitation settings, and possible methods of assessment. An overview of the main clinical areas addressed by music-based therapeutic interventions is also presented, including references to scientific literature, systematic and meta-analytic reviews as well as studies with rigorous methodologies (Randomized Controlled Trials). The final chapter focuses on research, outlining the current state of the art and possible future scenarios within this specific context.