FCSE professor takes part in a BIP (Blended Intensive Programme) in Croatia on music as a therapeutic tool
The BIP (Blended Intensive Programme), held from 21 to 27 July in partnership with universities in Croatia, Italy and Romania, offered a unique immersion in the world of music and neuroscience, exploring how sounds can influence the brain and well-being.
Maria Vânia Silva Nunes, professor at UCP's Faculty of Health Sciences and Nursing, participated with a paper on the importance of music as a therapeutic intervention tool for people with dementia and what evidence is currently available.
This participation in the BIP provided contact with potential partners in the area of therapeutic intervention with music, an area in which the work of students from different Faculty of Health Sciences and Nursing courses is already integrated, namely the Postgraduate in Music Neuroscience, the Master's in Neuropsychology, or the Master's in Cognitive and Behavioural Neuroscience, among others, and in which it is important to strengthen national and international partnerships.
As Patrícia Oliveira-Silva, a professor at FEP-UCP and a member of the organisation of this BIP, explains: ‘Music has the ability to transform the human experience and represents a universal language that unlocks our emotions in a unique way. It is precisely this ability of music to modulate our emotions and interact in such an intrinsic way with our brain that makes it a powerful tool for clinical intervention.’
Maria Vânia Silva Nunes adds: ‘This BIP allowed students and researchers interested in the area to meet in an atmosphere of sharing and exchanging knowledge, which resulted in a rich learning experience about the importance of music in different contexts and with different populations.’
In addition to UCP, the other three universities involved in this BIP were Hrvatsko katoličko sveučilište - Catholic University of Croatia (Croatia), the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore (Italy) and the Universitatea Babeș-Bolyai” din Cluj-Napoca (Romania).