Music Therapy and Alzheimer's: Uncovering the Healing Power of Melodies

It is widely known that music has the ability to affect us in a multitude of different ways from soothing our souls to pumping us up, music has an interesting effect on our bodies. In recent years, the use of music therapy in the medical world has been put to the test. In this blog post, we will dive deep into the therapeutic benefits of music for Alzheimer's patients and explore some recent studies in this field.

Music Therapy’s Benefits

Music Therapy is when a certified music therapist will create your sessions with particular, tailored aims in mind. Individuals' physical, emotional, cognitive, and social needs are met through music therapy. Music Therapy has a multitude of positive effects on Alzheimer's patients and stimulates critical components of the bond between the patient and the therapist.

Stimulates Cognitive Function:

Music Therapy stimulates the patient's cognitive function by helping them with recalling old memories, verbalization, and relaxation. A study performed in PubMed, Cochrane Library, and HINARI, compared music therapy with standard care or other non-musical interventions, and an evaluation of cognitive functions is included. According to the systematic literature search, “there is an improvement in cognitive functions after music therapy application. A greater effect was shown when patients are involved in the music making when using active music intervention.” In the same study, its mentioned that listening to music helps encourage Alzheimer’s patients to remember the lyrics which makes it a good stimulus as they showed improvement in categorical word fluency, autobiographical memory, and the memory of the lyrics. Lastly, one of the major advantages of music therapy is the increased healthful mobility. Music can serve as a catalyst for intentional movements, such as applauding, swaying, or dancing.

Enriches Social Interaction:

As mentioned in the previous point, group music sessions are a great way to promote social interaction between patients and workers. Typically in senior care homes, the social workers will have sing-alongs in which all the seniors will clap, sing, and sometimes even stomp along to the song. Instead, when attempting to provide the patient with a wordy conversation, body language, and other nonverbal communication methods take center stage. The incorporation of music into mental illness treatment is ideal since it provides a great approach to boosting good interactions and social connections.

Improves Quality of Life:

Disregarding all the immediate physical benefits, music therapy can significantly improve a patient's overall quality of life. Music provides comfort, arouses emotions, and boosts mood/morale. An example of music dictating/helping your mood would be playing an enthusiastic playlist in the morning to give you more energy for the day, followed by a more calming playlist in the late afternoon to promote feelings of comfort and tranquility. According to a 2022 review of 26 study, Alzheimer’s patients have a significant improvement in the health-related quality of life when music therapy is applied to their everyday routine/treatment. The quality of life-related to physical health showed a slight improvement, according to the study's authors. However, because there was such wide diversity in the outcomes, they advised against making any generalizations.

Bibliography:

Bleibel, Malak, et al. “The Effect of Music Therapy on Cognitive Functions in Patients with Alzheimer’s Disease: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials.” Alzheimer’s Research & Therapy, vol. 15, no. 1, 27 Mar. 2023, https://doi.org/10.1186/s13195-023-01214-9.

Harper, Chris. “Music and Alzheimer’s - Benefits of Music Therapy.” Www.arborcompany.com, www.arborcompany.com/blog/music-and-alzheimers-benefits-of-music-therapy.

“How Music Can Help People with Alzheimer’s.” Healthline, 1 May 2023, www.healthline.com/health/alzheimers/music-for-alzheimers#music-selection. Accessed 19 Sept. 2023.