Music Therapy for the Pediatric Patient Experiencing Agitation During Posttraumatic Amnesia: Constructing a Foundation From Theory

Abstract

Posttraumatic amnesia can be a clinically difficult phase to manage in the pediatric patient emerging from coma following severe traumatic brain injury (TBI), as agitation is a common presentation during this stage of recovery. Familiar song is offered, as a music therapy intervention, to reduce agitation for the pediatric patient; however, there is a paucity of evidence to support this. The purpose of this article is to combine interrelated knowledge from the fields of pediatric TBI recovery, music therapy, music neuropsychology, and mother–infant musicality to construct a theoretical foundation for the use of familiar song with this population.