A new claim suggests that music positively impacts Alzheimer’s patients.
On November 26, neuropsychologist Dr. Barbara Koltuska-Haskins wrote an article for the American psychology publication Psychology Today explaining how music can help Alzheimer’s patients. In a 1993 study (Lord, T. & Garner, E.), researchers conducted an experiment involving 60 nursing home patients who have Alzheimer’s dementia. The participants were divided into three groups, each engaging in different activities.
The first group listened to big band music from the 1920s and 1930s daily, the second group solved puzzles, and the third group painted. After six months, the music-listening group showed improved memory and heightened mental alertness.
Another study conducted in Greece (Efychios, A. et al. 2021) divided 32 Alzheimer’s patients into mild, moderate, and severe categories and administered mental state tests every six months over 30 months.
Participants attended individual and group sessions using instruments such as the piano, maracas, scraper, and drums, and researchers confirmed that all participants showed improvements in their mental states.
A study in Canada (Byrns, A. et al. 2020) designed a music therapy program using a virtual environment. Participants listened to eight pieces of classical and contemporary music lasting 30 seconds each and completed emotional questionnaires at the start and end of the experiment.
As a result, memory and attention are enhanced, along with increased positive emotions and relaxation.
An extensive review of music therapy for Alzheimer’s patients (Matziorinis, A. & Koelsch, S. 2022) demonstrated that it yields beneficial effects. Music improves the mood of Alzheimer’s patients, reduces depression and anxiety, and enhances certain cognitive functions such as autobiographical recall, memory, and verbal fluency.
Numerous studies indicate that despite severe memory deficits, Alzheimer’s patients generally retain their musical memory.
Scientists believe that the neural networks for music differ from traditional temporal memory pathways. Recovering musical memory involves networks both within and outside the temporal, frontal, and parietal lobes.
Dr. Haskins advises caregivers of Alzheimer’s patients to create playlists of their favorite songs to play during meals and relaxation times, as this can help reduce anxiety. She emphasizes that it is never too late to start music activities to care for the brain, regardless of age.
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