Singing after stroke

30 May 2025 Stroke support

In the UK, 100,000 people have a stroke each year and a third of stroke survivors have aphasia. The Stroke Association UK surveyed 1,000 stroke survivors to mark Stroke Awareness Month in May¹. They found that over a third of survivors in North West England (37%) lost the ability to speak after their stroke, while over a third (35%) could sing better than they could speak in the days, weeks and months following their stroke. In fact, a quarter of people (26%) could sing or hum before they could talk at all.

Research² has shown that singing after stroke can enhance communication and spoken language for people with aphasia. The Stroke Association’s survey found that over half of stroke survivors (54%) said that singing, listening to music or playing an instrument had a positive impact on their stroke recovery, with two in five (40%) saying music had a massive impact on their recovery.

Practically, almost two thirds of stroke survivors (61%) said that music helped to improve their communication skills after their stroke, while over half (51%) said music helped their memory, and the same number (51%) said it improved their sense of hearing. From an emotional perspective, almost half (45%) of stroke survivors said that singing along to music after their stroke helped them to relax, while over a third (34%) said singing gave them hope as they could sing better than they could speak, and two in five (43%) said it made them feel positive again.

Summer Clarke, 26, from Denton, Manchester, was given a 10% chance of survival, after being put in an induced coma following her stroke. Remarkably, during her recovery, Summer could sing before she could speak and this plus her sheer determination have been major factors as to where she is now post stroke. Summer, who was 24 at the time of her stroke, was enjoying an afternoon out with friends, when she began having severe pains in her head. Summer started being violently sick and appeared to be having a fit, so she was rushed to hospital. On arriving, a scan revealed that Summer had had a spontaneous brain hemorrhage. Such was the severity of her condition, Summer wasn’t able to breath on her own and was put on life support after being sent to a hospital in Salford.

However, two weeks after being put in an induced coma, remarkably Summer started to move her little finger and was taken out of a coma and then eventually began breathing on her own. Mum, Linda described it as a miracle and the doctors were amazed but Summer would stay in two hospitals for nine months and had to learn to walk and read again. Incredibly, Summer was able to sing her favorite songs, word for word, before she could speak properly or even recognise her own mum.

Linda said: “Summer suffered with so many cognitive problems but singing just came naturally to her. She could sing to music when she came out of the coma. She would start by miming songs and then she could sing anything on her playlist.”
Summer adds: “Anything we played I remembered the lyrics to, even if I didn’t recognise my own mum, it was all very strange.”

This month, the through its Sing4Stroke Stroke Association is encouraging people to raise their voice to help stroke survivors get the vital support they need after the devastating impact of a stroke.

In Stroke Association-funded research³ on a group-based singing intervention for improving the health of people with aphasia, researchers found that group singing can help people with communication difficulties after stroke by creating a safe space and strong bonds between people. Professor Mark Tarrant, the researcher who led the study at the University of Exeter, said: “Singing-based rehabilitation may have positive effects on both social confidence and wellbeing, providing social and emotional support for people with aphasia and their loved ones.”

References

Research conducted by Atomik Research on behalf of the Stroke Association, 28^th March – 3^rd April 2025.
Sini-Tuuli Siponkoski, Anni Pitkäniemi, Sari Laitinen, Essi-Reetta Särkämö, Emmi Pentikäinen, Heidi Eloranta, Leena Tuomiranta, Susanna Melkas, Gottfried Schlaug, Aleksi J Sihvonen, Teppo Särkämö, Efficacy of a multicomponent singing intervention on communication and psychosocial functioning in chronic aphasia: a randomized controlled crossover trial, Brain Communications, Volume 5, Issue 1, 2023, fcac337, https://doi.org/10.1093/braincomms/fcac337
Tarrant M, Carter M, Dean SG, et al Singing for people with aphasia (SPA): results of a pilot feasibility randomised controlled trial of a group singing intervention investigating acceptability and feasibility BMJ Open 2021;11:e040544. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2020-040544 | https://www.stroke.org.uk/research/can-singing-group-help-improve-wellbeing-people-post-stroke-aphasia

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