After last week’s Health-e-Byte about music as medicine, I received several questions about the specific benefits of listening to personally meaningful music for people with dementia.
The best answer to these questions is seen in a video of former ballet dancer, Marta Cinta González Saldaña, who developed severe Alzheimer’s disease in her senior years. As she listens to a piece of music from Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake, Ms González Saldaña suddenly rouses from her catatonic state in a magical way. Please watch the video here to witness the transformative power of music.
Other ways in which individually tailored music has been found to benefit people with dementia include:
- Reducing symptoms of distress, agitation and anxiety.
- Improving mood and social engagement.
- Facilitating communication and connection with family, friends and other carers.
- Decreasing the need for antipsychotic medications. (Antipsychotics are drugs used to manage acute distress, delusions, hallucinations and paranoia, but in elderly populations their effect is minimal and they do more harm than good.)
- Reducing pain and enhancing sleep quality.
For a deep dive into the brain-benefits of music and singing for people with dementia and Parkinson’s, read chapters 67 and 81 of my latest book, Can Adventure Prevent Dementia?
Please share this Health-e-Byte with anyone who is at a loss about to how to help someone with dementia.
Photo credit: I took this photo at the Museum of Art and History in Geneva, Switzerland, where I spoke at the Alzheimer Europe Conference in October 2024. The painting is titled ‘Partie de campagne’ (Country party) and relates to this Health-e-Byte in its depiction of people enjoying music.
