Science

Singing Rewired Stroke Survivors' Brains — Grey Matter Regrew In 4 Months

People who can't speak a word after a stroke can often still sing full sentences.

By the NoBadNews desk · Published 2026-07-08 · Updated 2026-07-08

Can music therapy help the brain recover after stroke?

Yes — a University of Helsinki study (Sihvonen et al., eNeuro 2024) found four months of choir-based singing therapy increased grey-matter volume and improved communication in stroke survivors with aphasia.

Speech and singing run on partly different brain networks, which is why many people with aphasia can sing words they cannot say. Melodic intonation therapy builds on exactly this, and clinics are increasingly adopting singing-based rehab — cheap, safe, and joyful.

Source: eNeuro 2024 (Sihvonen et al., University of Helsinki) · Image: AI illustration of real verified news (our method).

One good thing, every week.

Good news from around the world that nobody talks about — straight to your inbox, free.

Subscribe free →

Seen good news we missed? Send it to us →