In this week's (June 5, 2006) U.S. News and World Report there is an interesting article, "The Fine Art of Healing the Sick," which I'd like to follow up on. It mentions several research projects that indicate that music, art, and writing all can play an important role in healing, and that there is scientific evidence that it helps patients. moreover, it may reduce costs in certain instances--so hospitals shouldn't be cutting it out of their budgets. Of particular interest: Louis Armstrong Center for Music and Medicine (Joanne Loewy director). Ms. Loewy has documented how singing lullabies helps babies to rest and be calm before EEG's.

Mark Jude Tramo, director of the Institute for Music and Brain Science, and
Daniel Monti, director of Jefferson-Myrna Brind Center for Integrative Medicine at Thomas Jefferson University, looked at 111 women with cancer who did a range of art and writing projects and found that they did better in a wide range of measures. He has recieved an NIH grant to do a 5-year study on an additioanl 300 women.

I'll be curious to see what kinds of programs like this, if any, are going on in Syracuse.