Music and the Mind: How Music Therapy Can Reduce Symptoms in Alzheimer's Patients

Abstract

First seen in the Paleolithic era, the use of music therapy in a medical setting has been explored for thousands of years. More recently, music therapy has been observed to help manage symptoms in Alzheimer’s patients. In this paper, numerous past studies were reviewed to analyze the effectiveness of music therapy in managing Alzheimer’s symptoms. These looked at types of memories affected by Alzheimer’s, how speaking and singing have different effects on memorizing phrases, and how different genres of music allow for various amounts of improvement in daily tasks depending on individual interests. A separate study of my own was performed in numerous memory-care homes regarding how listening to music improved the mood and well-being of Alzheimer’s affected patients. On average, patients reported a 95% improvement in mood after listening to music. It was found that music has a significant and tangible effect on Alzheimer’s patients by improving recall through reduced anxiety and increased arousal, leading to dopamine release in the brain. Also, patients reported feeling less stressed. Multiple studies have indicated that music can lower blood pressure and heart rate levels. Overall, in the increasingly technology-based modern world, life expectancy rates have been rising steadily and neurodegenerative diseases will only become more prevalent. Finding ways to slow down or even reverse the symptoms of diseases such as Alzheimer’s will be a key issue in the future and music might be the solution.