Researchers have managed to understand why and how music reduces distress and agitation in people with dementia.
- The new study demonstrates how and why music can reduce distress and agitation in people with advanced dementia.
- Music stimulates the cognitive activity of the brain, facilitating access to memories.
- Songs listened to between the ages of 10 and 30 are the most effective for patients suffering from dementia.
Music softens morals. This adage is even more true for people with advanced dementia. Researchers from Anglia Ruskin University have identified the mechanisms explaining why music has calming effects in these patients. This confirms the interest of music therapy for these cognitive disorders.
Their study was published in the journal Nature Mental Health.
Dementia: music reduces patients’ distress
To assess the value of music therapy for patients with dementia, researchers reviewed studies on the topic and conducted interviews with staff and music therapists from specialist dementia wards at Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust.
Analysis of the data collected shows that personalized music therapy sessions can provide a rapid reduction in agitation and anxiety in people with advanced dementia. Improvements in attention, engagement, alertness and mood were also observed. “Musical interactions can help people feel safer and more oriented in their surroundings, which can reduce levels of distress and improve well-being”note the authors in their press release.
These beneficial effects occur whether the patient sings, plays or listens to music.
Dementia and memory: songs listened to between the ages of 10 and 30 are the most effective
How does music improve well-being and reduce distress in dementia patients? The team has an answer. She notes that music offers cognitive and sensory stimulation. The neural networks in both hemispheres of the brain are activated, facilitating access to the person’s remaining memories. It also helps patients manage their emotions or stay calm.
“Memories evoked by music, particularly those triggered by familiar music, are recalled more quickly and are more positive and specific than memories recalled without music, and often relate to earlier in the person’s life. Songs listened to between the ages of 10 and 30 have proven to be the most effective”note the researchers.
Faced with these results, scientists conclude that music therapy is an interesting treatment in cases of dementia. “Our study not only shows why music therapy is effective – including meeting the person’s need for stimulation, supporting familiarity through memories, encouraging relationships and emotional expression and, most importantly, helping to reduce distress and anxiety – but it also paves the way for its wider use in dementia care.”says lead author Naomi Thompson.
“Music, especially recorded music, is an accessible way for staff and families to manage distress, and music therapists can advise on how to tailor music to individuals. Just as a doctor prescribes medication with a specific dose and frequency, a music therapist can develop a personalized program, specifying how music should be used throughout a person’s day to reduce their distress and improve their well-being.”concludes the expert.
