Ongoing History Daily: Is music good for treating ADHD?

February 11, 2025 Alan Cross 0 Comments 0 min read

ADHD can be rough thing to deal with. Could music help? A new study says that certain types of music could help sustain attention over longer periods of time. No drugs. Just music.

This study says that amplitude modulations (that is, carefully placed oscillating quiet and loud passages at specific rates) can increase attention spans in some with ADHD when played in the background. This was tested on a series of volunteers. Brain scans showed that this kind of music effectively engaged all the parts of the brain that are needed to sustained focus on something.

More research is required, but it appears that this could be an effective treatment for ADHD sufferers.

Alan Cross

is an internationally known broadcaster, interviewer, writer, consultant, blogger and speaker. In his 40+ years in the music business, Alan has interviewed the biggest names in rock, from David Bowie and U2 to Pearl Jam and the Foo Fighters. He’s also known as a musicologist and documentarian through programs like The Ongoing History of New Music.

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