How patients with dementia show improvement with music therapy

It’s been said that, “Music is a universal language”, and recent research with Dementia patients is proving that to be true; music can actually calm many patients and help to improve their memory!

Dementia causes many changes in the brain that can, in a sense, short-circuit the brain. Alzheimer’s and Dementia patients may begin to get lost in familiar surroundings, repeat questions, become fearful of their surroundings, suspicious of family members that they may not recognize. They may have trouble following directions and doing the simplest daily tasks. They can become disoriented about time, places and people around them. Simply bathing, brushing their teeth, using a fork or spoon or even swallowing are typically forgotten and patients will end up being fed, strictly with liquids through tubes. Eventually, daily care can require up to six or more caregivers per patient, which is why so many end up in nursing facilities, but life doesn’t have to be all misery for them.

With studies conducted in Belgium, Canada and the US, the findings are amazingly hopeful. We human beings seem to remember things that have emotional components. The parts of the brain, the Amygdala and our neurotransmitters, work together to help us recall the more emotional times that occur throughout our lives.

Petr Janata, a University of California, Associate Professor of Psychology, conducted brain activity experiments on a group of people who listened to music and found that the medial prefrontal cortex area of the brain stays healthier in Alzheimer’s patients longer than the other brain parts and has the capacity for emotions and other sensations.

According to, Concetta Tomaino, at the Institute for Music and Neurologic Function, at the Beth Abraham Health Services, in New York; we can recall audio very easily and the audio functions are often one of the last abilities that we lose. This seems to allow Alzheimer’s and Dementia patients to still have the capacity to sing songs of their youth, despite losing the capacity to recall many words, phrases and names. Documented research has shown that it can even extend to the more advanced cases of the disease.

Patients will often sing, hum and some even will begin to dance, despite the fact that minutes before they weren’t even speaking. Revisiting the music of earlier years can actually get these patients up and enjoying their day while even allowing them to have their memories stimulated; some patients recall the words to the songs even when they can’t recall their own family members’ names and faces. They were able to recall words and lyrics to many songs when hearing an audio recording than when they heard the lyrics spoken.

The music therapy often consists of CD’s being played, appropriate to the age range of the individuals or groups. Usually, the music that they either enjoyed as children, teens or young adults; sometimes, a discussion of many of the individual pieces and their association with movies or other shows can stimulate memories associated with better times or time spent with loved ones.

You can find CD’s, DVD’s and more at the local library that contain music familiar to the patients for whom you are caring. Familiar musicals, operas or Broadway show tunes can spark and open those mental trunks of long sealed away memories, giving many patients a memory boost and pleasure during their days.

Classical music has been proven, time and time again, to be soothing, so if you can play music for about an hour during the daytime or evening for those you care for, it will help to keep them calm and relaxed. Studies have shown that more than an hour can sometimes create agitation or irritability.

Playing an instrument, having a family sing-a-long can, as well and it allows some quality time with the family and friends that these patients wouldn’t otherwise be able to really enjoy.

These and other amazing studies are allowing many patients to stay calm, less agitated; it reduces anxiety and decreases wandering, may allow patients to improve some memory functions while enjoying their sing-a-long time reminiscing about the music that they grew up with. It can increase their socialization and decrease some depression which is of immense help to caregivers. Perhaps someday, music will help researchers to unlock the secrets to aiding these patients and their caregivers in having a more fulfilling life despite their disease.

by M. L. Kiser.