Reclaiming Music as Medicine for Gait Rehabilitation - Onovughakpor Otitigbe Dangerfield

Year
2025
Organisation
Harvard University
Tags
Afro-diasporic music
polyrhythms
neural entrainment
gait therapy
Parkinson’s
neurodegeneration
rhythmic-haptic cueing
vibro-tactile system
proprioception
biomechanics
cultural neuroscience
music therapy
kinematic analysis
FSR sensors
embodied cognition
Black studies
decolonizing science
therapeutic technology
Harvard
Summary

This thesis develops a vibro-tactile rhythmic-haptic cueing system based on Afro-diasporic polyrhythms to support gait improvement in neurodegenerative conditions. Using foot-based sensors and calibrated vibrations, the system increased cadence by 2–3%. The work challenges historical pathologizing of Black music and reframes it as therapeutic, culturally grounded neurotechnology.