Music can be a source of joy and emotional support for people with dementia. It helps them regain a sense of identity and belonging, as well as connect with their loved ones in a new way.
It can also help reduce symptoms of depression, agitation, and anxiety, as well as improve social interaction. This is the basis of many music-based interventions for Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia.
Music and Dementia Approach
One such approach is a musical “bridge to memory.” This involves playing an individual’s favorite songs and using that to engage the person in conversations about the song, their life, and their past. Then, they are encouraged to sing along with the music and perform an action or gesture associated with the song.
A new study found that this type of music intervention can significantly boost cognitive ability and life satisfaction in individuals with dementia. The study involved patients in a memory care unit at Silverado Memory Care in suburban Chicago and their caregivers.
The music therapy program involved chamber musicians and a singer performing songs from the participants’ youth that they grew up with and loved. The program was conducted over a 45-minute period and included training for the patient/caregiver pair on how to interact more effectively during the musical performances.
Researchers found that the musical intervention increased social engagement, reduced agitation and anxiety, and improved mood in both patient and caregiver groups. The intervention also enhanced patients’ receptiveness to verbal and nonverbal communication.
This study is important because it shows that music can be used to foster an emotional connection between patients and their loved ones. Often,
Music and Dementia lose their ability to communicate verbally with their family members as they progress in the disease.
However, a recent study by Northwestern Medicine and the Institute for Therapy through the Arts suggests that this gap may be bridged with a novel music intervention.
It is thought that the long-term memories of music remain intact until late in the course of Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia. This is because parts of the brain that are involved in music memory and processing are not as affected by Alzheimer’s or other dementia until much later in the course of the disease.
In addition, receptiveness to language is also preserved in the brains of people with dementia. This is because language processing is also centered in the parietal lobes, which are involved in music recognition.
The brain’s receptiveness to music is likely due to a combination of factors, including its ability to activate the hippocampus, the part of the brain responsible for memory. The hippocampus is also responsible for the production of dopamine, an essential neurotransmitter for mood and reward regulation.
When the hippocampus is activated by music, it triggers dopamine release in the striatum, another part of the brain that is critical for impulse control and motor response. In turn, this increases the brain’s overall alertness and responsiveness and can result in increased movement and activity.
