In 2025, researchers from Anglia Ruskin University and Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust ran a pilot program called MELODIC on two hospital wards for people with dementia. They brought in a music therapist to lead sessions and make custom music plans for each patient, aiming to prevent and handle tough emotions without always using meds.

A 2025 study from Aarhus University and the University of Oxford introduced a new brain imaging method called FREQ-NESS, revealing that when you hear a steady rhythm or musical tone, your brain dynamically reorganizes its networks. Instead of passively receiving sound, the brain actively adjusts its internal wiring, orchestrating a complex interplay of brainwaves across multiple networks.