Researchers are considering naming their remarkable study about the benefits of music in treating victims of a stroke the “Kenny Rogers Effect” after their experiments revealed that Kenny Rogers songs were the most beneficial to patients among the recordings they used.
“There seems to be a strong coupling in the brain between emotional and attentional areas,” researcher David Soto told Wired. “When emotional areas light up and are activated, the attentional system seems to be more effective as well.” When Soto examined this correlation further, he found that by listening to certain appealing music, stroke victims could perform tasks better. Apparently, if you put on “The Gambler,” someone could well up with so much emotion that their brain can’t help taking notice.
Kenny Rogers may have been the best musician for the patients tested so far, but Flying Burrito Brothers Band and Frank Sinatra were also in the top group of musical drugs. It’s awful, but I’m wondering: “What if stroke victims listened to The Strokes?”
For a lot more info on the study and none of my distasteful puns, click here.