{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,18]],"date-time":"2026-03-18T22:04:58Z","timestamp":1773871498669,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":38,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"3","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,3,7]],"date-time":"2025-03-07T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1741305600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Heidehof Stiftung"},{"name":"Buhl-Strohmaier Stiftung"},{"name":"Stiftung W\u00fcrth"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Children"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background\/Objectives: Patients with physical disabilities, like cerebral palsy, the most common movement disorder in childhood, can benefit from instrumental therapy using piano. Playing the piano promotes the interaction between different brain regions and integrates motor skills, sensory skills, musical hearing, and emotions. A pilot music study examined the effects of six months of piano lessons on hand motor skills and musical hearing in groups of children with motor disabilities. Methods: The allocation to the group was not randomized. Various tests, including the standardized Box and Block Test (BBT) and piano tests, assessed hand motor skills. Musical hearing was evaluated, and a questionnaire was used to determine the participants\u2019 enjoyment and experience with the piano lessons. The regularity, tempo of keystrokes, and synchronization between the two hands were assessed and compared to evaluate the effects of six months of piano training. Results: After six months of piano training, statistically significant improvements were observed in the BBT, as well as in the regularity and tempo of the non-dominant hand. The children showed significant improvement in hand-motor control, moving 27.3% more cubes in the BBT. Regularity and tempo in piano playing, especially in the non-dominant hand, also improved. Moreover, 55% of the children better recognized the correct pitches of notes. Conclusions: Thus, this study supports the concept that piano lessons are an effective form of physical therapy for the development of hand motor skills and musical hearing.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/children12030335","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,3,7]],"date-time":"2025-03-07T04:29:59Z","timestamp":1741321799000},"page":"335","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Motor-Sensory Learning in Children with Disabilities: Does Piano Practice Help?"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"12","author":[{"given":"Simon","family":"Str\u00fcbbe","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Research Unit of the Buhl-Strohmaier Foundation for Cerebral Palsy and Pediatric Neuroorthopaedics, Department of Orthopaedics and Sports Orthopaedics, School of Medicine and Health, TUM University Hospital Rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, Ismaninger Str. 22, 81675 Munich, Germany"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7808-107X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Susmita","family":"Roy","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Research Unit of the Buhl-Strohmaier Foundation for Cerebral Palsy and Pediatric Neuroorthopaedics, Department of Orthopaedics and Sports Orthopaedics, School of Medicine and Health, TUM University Hospital Rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, Ismaninger Str. 22, 81675 Munich, Germany"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4158-9416","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Irina","family":"Sidorenko","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Research Unit of the Buhl-Strohmaier Foundation for Cerebral Palsy and Pediatric Neuroorthopaedics, Department of Orthopaedics and Sports Orthopaedics, School of Medicine and Health, TUM University Hospital Rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, Ismaninger Str. 22, 81675 Munich, Germany"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1016-0249","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ren\u00e9e","family":"Lampe","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Research Unit of the Buhl-Strohmaier Foundation for Cerebral Palsy and Pediatric Neuroorthopaedics, Department of Orthopaedics and Sports Orthopaedics, School of Medicine and Health, TUM University Hospital Rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, Ismaninger Str. 22, 81675 Munich, Germany"},{"name":"Markus W\u00fcrth Professorship, Technical University of Munich, Ismaninger Strasse 22, 81675 Munich, Germany"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,3,7]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"319","DOI":"10.1016\/S0361-9230(99)00245-2","article-title":"Connections underlying the synthesis of cognition, memory, and emotion in primate prefrontal cortices","volume":"52","author":"Barbas","year":"2000","journal-title":"Brain Res. 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