Scientific research into the brain supports these findings and shows that melodies and music therapies help improve mental health in seniors. We recognize these benefits by incorporating different musical activities in our residents' calendars here at Autumn View Gardens in Ellisville, MO.
Alzheimer's disease and other forms of adult dementia are related to damage to the brain tissue. In many instances, the parts of the brain affected are the entorhinal cortex and hippocampus, which are responsible for memory and learning. Later, Alzheimer's commonly affects surrounding areas of the brain involved in reasoning, social behavior and language.
Other parts of the brain may be unaffected, and research shows music can stimulate these regions. MRI scans demonstrate that certain areas of the brain respond when researchers repeatedly play familiar music to people who have Alzheimer's disease.
Taking this a bit further, scientists realized it’s not just the auditory cortex that responds to the music. The scans revealed music activates other areas of the brain, causing different regions to communicate so much that seniors with Alzheimer's physically respond to music they remember in unusual and amazing ways. This includes seniors who have late-stage dementia and demonstrate limited connection between themselves and their environment.
One example of how music boosts memory and mood is that seniors who no longer speak to their caregivers will often start singing along with the music. They may also dance or tap their feet, and their facial expressions come alive. The conclusion is that music revives parts of the brain associated with memory, including emotion, speech, reasoning and reward. Other researchers have discovered singing can help people recover from strokes or brain injuries that damage the part of the brain responsible for speech. This is because the singing part of the brain is on the right side of the brain, while speech is handled by the left brain region. There are examples of people who have brain injuries who learned how to speak through music therapy and singing.
Empirical studies conducted by the AARP show music can change how you feel and increase your levels of happiness and feelings of well-being. The study claims it helps amplify the feelings of well-being in seniors over 65 years of age. The research shows music listeners have higher mental well-being scores and reduced levels of anxiety and depression.
The nonprofit organization Music and Memory reports playing their favorite music to seniors with memory loss improves their quality of life in more ways than one. Claimed benefits include:
A study from the University of Exeter in the UK showed that playing music and singing throughout a person's life is linked to better senior cognitive health. They discovered that taking part in music had remarkable benefits, while playing an instrument was associated with a lower risk of age-related brain changes. This work indicates music is highly beneficial for seniors with mild cognitive impairment, and it may slow or prevent more severe memory changes. It also illustrates the benefit of the music programs in our weekly activity calendars for our assisted living and memory care residents.
There's evidence that focused music therapy specifically tailored to individual needs is helpful in the treatment of seniors with Alzheimer's and other memory loss conditions. It seems the best music is songs and other music the individual listened to in their late childhood and early adult years. You can often get clues from family members, spouses, friends and family records about the types of music they like.
Working with a music therapist, you can use a personal media player to create a playlist and see how your loved one reacts to the music. If they like the playlist, it's generally obvious from their facial expressions, and they may smile, clap or hum in tune to the music. If the music doesn't strike the right chord, they may look away and appear disinterested.
Another study shows a live music performance helps seniors with memory loss, especially when the performer plays music from the periods when residents were younger. This study included residents' caregivers and families. Researchers noted that live music helped dementia residents better connect with their caregivers and families. Benefits included reduced symptoms of agitation and anxiety in residents and in their family and caregivers.
While the benefits of music therapy have been known for centuries, it wasn't until more recently that therapists realized the potential of focused music therapy to reach and revitalize the lives of seniors with memory loss.
