Music can help people with dementia connect with loved ones

In the intervention, called "Bridges to Musical Memory," developed by the ITA, a live ensemble plays music from the patient's youth, such as the musical "Oklahoma" or "The Sound of Music.

The program also enhanced patient social engagement and reduced neuropsychiatric symptoms such as agitation, anxiety, and depression in patients and caregivers

More than 6 million people in the United States have Alzheimer's disease

The study's lead author, Dr Borna Bonakdalp, said what was unusual about the study was that it looked at people with dementia and their caregivers

"Patients can connect with their partners through music in ways that are not verbally possible," said Northwestern Medicine neuroscientist Bonakdarpour, associate professor of neurology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine

The study was published Aug.

Music memory, processing unaffected by Alzheimer's disease

Even if language and other memories are lost in dementia, musical memories often remain in the brain, Bonakdarpour said

How the research was conducted

For the study, video conversations and interactions between dementia patients — residents of the Silverado Memory Care Center in suburban Chicago — and their care partners were recorded 10 minutes before and 10 minutes after the intervention

During the 45-minute musical intervention, an ensemble of chamber musicians and a singer sang songs that the patients preferred from their youth

After the music started, a group of people started talking

The program consists of 12 training sessions over a three-month period

'All are related to their lover'

Some people are reluctant to communicate much with their partner before intervening

"As the program progressed, caregivers invited multiple family members," said Jeffrey Wolfe, a neuromusic therapist and researcher at the ITA and director of the Music Memory Bridges program

The next step in the research is to study the larger patient population

Other Northwestern authors on the study include co-first author Rhiana Schafer

Journal Reference:

1. Rhiana Schafer, Aimee Karstens, Emma Hospelhorn, Jeffrey Wolfe, Amanda Ziemba, Peggy Wise, Rickie Crown, Jenni Rook, Borna Bonakdarpour.