%A Samadani,Ali %A Kim,Song %A Moon,Jae %A Kang,Kyurim %A Chau,Tom %D 2021 %J Frontiers in Neuroscience %C %F %G English %K neural synchrony,Disability,spectral coherence,Granger influence,Child-Parent Dyad,Interbrain synchrony,EEG,Children,Severe physical disabilities,coherence,Music Therapy %Q %R 10.3389/fnins.2021.531915 %W %L %M %P %7 %8 2021-April-30 %9 Original Research %# %! Neurophysiological synchrony during music therapy %* %< %T Neurophysiological Synchrony Between Children With Severe Physical Disabilities and Their Parents During Music Therapy %U https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnins.2021.531915 %V 15 %0 JOURNAL ARTICLE %@ 1662-453X %X Although physiological synchronization has been associated with the level of empathy in emotionally meaningful relationships, little is known about the interbrain synchrony between non-speaking children with severe disabilities and their familial caregivers. In a repeated measures observational study, we ascertained the degree of interbrain synchrony during music therapy in 10 child-parent dyads, where the children were non-speaking and living with severe motor impairments. Interbrain synchrony was quantified via measurements of spectral coherence and Granger causality between child and parent electroencephalographic (EEG) signals collected during ten 15-min music therapy sessions per dyad, where parents were present as non-participating, covert observers. Using cluster-based permutation tests, we found significant child-parent interbrain synchrony, manifesting most prominently across dyads in frontal brain regions within β and low γ frequencies. Specifically, significant dyadic coherence was observed contra-laterally, between child frontal right and parental frontal left regions at β and lower γ bands in empathy-related brain areas. Furthermore, significant Granger influences were detected bidirectionally (from child to parent and vice versa) in the same frequency bands. In all dyads, significant increases in session-specific coherence and Granger influences were observed over the time course of a music therapy session. The observed interbrain synchrony suggests a cognitive-emotional coupling during music therapy between child and parent that is responsive to change. These findings encourage further study of the socio-empathic capacity and interpersonal relationships formed between caregivers and non-speaking children with severe physical impairments.