Page 19 - Leisure Living Magazine August 2019

For The Love Of Music
By Theresa Bowen, Ph.D., Email - theesajb@gmail.com
In recent years, music-based therapy has grown in popularity as a method of non-pharmaceuti- caltreatmentforAlzheimer’sdisease.TheNew Scientist.com (2016) reports that a woman now aged 101 rarely knows where she is, and does not recognize people she has met in the last few decades but can play nearly 400 songs by ear on the piano. This is done by tapping into a memory of previously stored musical imprints. She per- forms ragtime, show tunes, pop music, and gos- pel regularly at assisted living facilities around California. This pianist learned to play the violin and piano when she was a child. She earned two music education degrees in hopes of being an orchestra teacher but set music aside when she moved to Florida with her family in 1946. Ac- cording to Zachary Miller (2016) a neurologist at the University of California, this woman “is a wonderful example of an indomitable human spirit, and somebody who was gifted earlier in life has maintained those gifts” even with a diag- nosis of vascular dementia.
The University of Utah Health (2018) decided to investigate the effects that listening to music had on the brains of people with Alzheimer’s dis- ease. The scientists worked with seventeen par- ticipants with Alzheimer’s disease. The first three weeks the scientists assisted caregivers in finding familiar songs to include in a playlist for the par- ticipants to listen to. The playlist formulated for each individual was uploaded to a portable media player the Alzheimer’s participant and the care- giver were instructed on how to use. The visible effects on the participants who listened to music were “heartwarming”
explained the scientists.
Next, MRI scans of
the participants’ brain
were conducted while
they listened to med-
leys of twenty-second
fragments that includ-
ed blocks of silence.
The scans revealed that
music from their cus-
tomized playlists effec-
tively stimulated indi-
vidual brain networks.
Dr. Norman Foster, senior study
author reports that the study
shows personally meaningful
music is an alternative route for communicating with loved ones who have Alzheimer’s disease. Collectively, the scientists found the participants who listened to familiar music came alive and grounded the participant back in reality.
New research suggests that music-based ther- apy may reduce depression and anxiety in peo- ple with Alzheimer’s disease. There is evidence that suggests that music from memory remains intact for loved ones with Alzheimer’s disease even while experiencing cognitive decline. This is because musical memory networks are separate from traditional temporal lobe memory networks which are spared until the late stages of Alzhei- mer’s disease (Leggieri et al., 2019). For example, Glen Campbell, Perry Como and Etta James all were diagnosed and died with Alzheimer’s dis- ease. Glenn Campbell was unable to remember song lyrics but did remember guitar solos. Perry Como reached the point of not recognizing his friends but could still put on a full performance. Etta James was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s dis- ease in 2008 but produced her last album in 2011 before her death in 2012.
Despite the encouraging results of several stud- ies music is not an easy treatment for Alzheimer’s disease symptoms but exposing people to calming familiar music can be one of the caregiver’s cop- ing strategies for their loved one. Tips for select- ing music from the Alzheimer’s Association are to include music that is not interrupted because it
may cause confusion. Use music to create the mood you want such as calming mu- sic or a faster paced piece from the loved one’s childhood to boost spirit and con- jure happy memories. Check the volume of the music so it is not too loud and encour- age clapping to add enjoyment.
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