Dr Alex Street

Alex specialises in the design and use of treatment protocols for rehabilitation following brain injury in children and adults. He incorporates technology in his work in order to improve patient accessibility and treatment efficacy. He is a member of the Cambridge Institute of Music Therapy Research (CIMTR).

[email protected]

Background

Alex trained as a music therapist at the Guildhall school of music and drama and immediately began working in neurodisability settings. He has established, run posts and supervised Masters students on placement in community, acute and subacute NHS and non-NHS neurorehabilitation settings, including setting up home programs of exercises for patients. Alex has also worked for children’s services within local authorities, specialising in the treatment of emotional and psychological trauma, cerebral palsy, sensory impairment and autism. He has published on the use of music technology, songwriting and neurologic music therapy (NMT) interventions, and presented internationally.

Alex’s PhD research was a collaboration with a NHS primary care trust in Cambridgeshire, recruiting people with upper limb hemiparesis following stroke as part of a RCT investigating a neurologic music therapy sensorimotor technique. Alex is currently a senior research fellow at ARU, continuing his research into music-based interventions for neurorehabilitation and investigating the effects of music therapy on quality of life, mood and neuropsychiatric symptoms in people with dementia.

Spoken Languages

• English
• Italian

Research interests

• Sensorimotor, cognitive and speech rehabilitation for adults and children with acquired brain injury
• Musical instrument learning and cognitive development in children
• Music therapy in community based neurorehabilitation
• Music therapy and disorders of consciousness

Alex’s primary research interest is music and neurorehabilitation, with a particular focus on the effects of music and musical elements on mood, cognitive, communication and motor functions in adults and children with acquired brain injury. He also has a particular interest in the use of musical instruments (formal and informal instrumental tuition) on cognitive development in children.

Areas of research supervision

• Neurorehabilitation (adult and children)
• Disorders of consciousness
• Work in special schools
• Music and neuroscience
• Protocol development

Teaching

• Neuroscience and the arts
• Music and cognition
• The use of music technology in music therapy with all patient populations
• Music therapy protocols for assessment in adults and children
• Music therapy and music-based interventions for neurodisability and neurodegenerative conditions

Qualifications

• Bachelor of music, City University, London
• Diploma in music therapy, Guildhall School of Music and Drama
• PhD in neurologic music therapy, Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge

Selected recent publications

Fernie, P., Street, A., Fachner, J.ö, Muller, L., Hsu, M.H., Di Campli San Vito, P., Brewster, S., Banerjee, S., Farina, N., Shaji, H., Itaborai, P., Kirke, A. and Miranda, E.R. (2024). Preferred music listening for people living with dementia: Two home-based case studies discussing compilation process, autobiographical and biophysical responses. Geriatric nursing (New York), [e-journal] 59, pp.440–452. 10.1016/j.gerinurse.2024.07.022.

Rajagopal, S., Street, A. & Philip, S.W. (2024). The Art and Craft of Music Therapy for Stroke
Rehabilitation in a Remote North Indian Community: A Case Study. Voices: A World Forum
for Music Therapy, 24(1). https://doi.org/10.15845/voices.v24i1.3724

Street, A. and Jaschke, A.C. (2024). What might an interactive music therapy service bring to the adult intensive care unit? A suggested service based on data from a scoping review. British Journal of Music Therapy (London, England: 1995), [e-journal] 38 (1), pp.42–65. 10.1177/13594575241235126.

Kolomeytseva, A., Street, A., & Fachner, J. (2023). Music.ALS: Clinical perspectives on a home-based music therapy treatment to improve breathing, speech, swallowing and cough of persons with ALS (MND). Medical Research Archives, 11(12). doi:10.18103/mra.v11i12.4795

Somani, N., Beukes, E., Street, A., Lindsay, R., Smith, L., & Allen, P.M. (2023). Effectiveness of music-based interventions to address well-being in people with a vision impairment: A scoping review. BMJ Open, 13(9), e067502. doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2022-067502

Somani, N., Beukes, E., Street, A., Lindsay, R., & Allen, P.M. (2022). Music-based interventions to address well-being in people with a vision impairment: Protocol for a scoping review. BMJ Open, 12(3), e054268. doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2021-054268

Apreleva Kolomeytseva, A.T., Brylev, L., Eshghi, M., Bottaeva, Z., Zhang, J., Fachner, J.C., Street, A.J. (2022). Home-Based Music Therapy to Support Bulbar and Respiratory Functions of Persons with Early and Mid-Stage Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis - Protocol and Results from a Feasibility Study. Brain Sciences, 12(4):494. https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci12040494.

Thompson, N., Bloska, J., Abington, A., Masterson, A., Whitten, D., Street, A. (2022). The Feasibility and Acceptability of Neurologic Music Therapy in Subacute Neurorehabilitation and Effects on Patient Mood. Brain Sciences, 12(4):497. https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci12040497.

Street, A.J., Zhang, J., Pethers, S., Wiffen, L., Bond, K., Palmer, H. (2020). Neurologic Music Therapy in Acute Stroke Rehabilitation: Could it be Feasible and Helpful. Topics in Stroke Rehabilitation. Taylor and Francis. https://doi.org/10.1080/10749357.2020.1729585. 

Street, A.J., Fachner, J., Magee, W.L. (2019). Upper limb Rehabilitation in Stroke Using Neurologic Music Therapy: Two Contrasting Case Studies to Inform on Treatment Delivery and Patient Suitability. Nordic Journal of Music Therapy. Taylor & Francis. https://doi.org/10.1080/08098131.2019.1606848.

Street, A.J., Magee, W.L., Bateman, A., Parker, M., Odell-Miller, H. and Fachner, J. (2017). 
Home-based Neurologic Music Therapy for Arm Hemiparesis Following Stroke: Results
from a Pilot, Feasibility Randomized Controlled Trial. Clinical Rehabilitation, 
pp.0269215517717060. 10.1177/0269215517717060

Street, A.J. Magee, W.L. Odell-Miller, H. Bateman. A. Fachner, J.C. (2015). Home-based Neurologic Music Therapy for Upper Limb Rehabilitation with Stroke Patients at Community Rehabilitation Stage - a Feasibility Study Protocol. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience.

The Two Guitarists as Warp and Weft. In Oldfield, A. Tomlinson, J., Loombe, D. Flute, Accordian or Clarinet? Supporting music therapists to use their first instrument in clinical practice, 2015. London. Jessica Kingsley.

Street, A. Using Garageband Music Software With Adults With Acquired Brain Injury at Headway East London: Identity, Communication and Executive Function. In Magee. L. M. Music Technology in Therapeutic and Health Settings, 2014. London. Jessica Kingsley.

O'Kelly, J.W., Magee, W,. Street, A., Fachner, J., Drake, A.I,. Cahen, J., Särkämö, T., Ridder, H.M., Jungblut, M., Melhuish, R., Taylor. D. (2013). Music Therapy Advances in Neuro-disability - Innovations in Research and Practice: Summary Report and Reflections on a Two-Day International Conference. https://doi.org/10.15845/voices.v14i1.742.

Street, A. (2012). Combining Functional and Psychoanalytic Techniques, Using Rhythmic Auditory Stimulation (RAS) and Song-writing to Treat a Man with a Traumatic Brain Injury. Voices, 12(3).