The Connection Between Music Therapy and Language Abilities in People with Dementia
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47611/jsrhs.v13i3.7217Keywords:
dementia, music therapy, language, elderly careAbstract
Due to the advancements of technology and the overall improved quality of life within society, the general life expectancy has increased. As a result, one of the serious leading age-related conditions in the population is dementia. Memory loss, agitation, loss of ability to communicate, and anxiety are a few symptoms that negatively impact those who have dementia. Therefore, it is essential to identify practical and cost-friendly treatment options for those symptoms. The purpose of this paper is to explore music therapy on language functioning in individuals who suffer from dementia. Few studies have addressed this connection, so this literature review was written to summarize the findings thus far. Surprisingly, evidence was found that supports the argument that music therapy may improve language functions in patients with dementia. Afterwards, a survey was conducted to analyze the application of music therapy in elderly care facilities. These discoveries were then presented through an opinion piece ending with recommendations to decrease the suffering of people with dementia.
Downloads
References or Bibliography
Altenmuller, E., Boller, F., & Finger, S. (Eds.). (2015). Music, Neurology, and Neuroscience: Evolution, the Musical Brain, Medical Conditions, and Therapies (Vol. 217, pp. 207–235). Elsevier Science.
Banovic, S., Zunic, L., & Sinanovic, O. (2018). Communication difficulties as a result of dementia. Materia Socio Medica, 30, 221–224. https://doi.org/10.5455/msm.2018.30.221-224
Bleibel, M., El Cheikh, A., Sadier, N. S., & Abou-Abbas, L. (2023). The effect of music therapy on cognitive functions in patients with Alzheimer’s disease: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials. Alzheimer’s Research & Therapy, 15(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13195-023-01214-9
Brotons, M., & Koger, S. M. (2000). The impact of music therapy on language functioning in dementia. Journal of Music Therapy, 28, 183–195.
Brown, S., Martinez, M. J., & Parsons, L. M. (2006). Music and language side by side in the brain: a PET study of the generation of melodies and sentences. European Journal of Neuroscience, 23(10), 2791–2803. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1460-9568.2006.04785.x
Ingram, A. (2012). Critical Review: Does music therapy have a positive impact on language functioning in adults with dementia? In University of Western Ontario (pp. 1–5). https://www.uwo.ca/fhs/csd/ebp/reviews/2011-12/Ingram.pdf
Kempler, D., & Goral, M. (2008). Language and dementia: Neuropsychological aspects. Annual Review of Applied Linguistics, 28, 73–90. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0267190508080045
Krein, L., Jeon, Y.-H., Amberber, A. M., & Fethney, J. (2019). The assessment of language and communication in dementia: A synthesis of evidence. The American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 27(4), 363–377. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jagp.2018.11.009
McDermott, O., Orrell, M., & Ridder, H. M. (2014). The importance of music for people with dementia: the perspectives of people with dementia, family carers, staff and music therapists. Aging & Mental Health, 18(6), 706–716. https://doi.org/10.1080/13607863.2013.875124
Moreno-Morales, C., Calero, R., Moreno-Morales, P., & Pintado, C. (2020). Music therapy in the treatment of dementia: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Frontiers in Medicine, 7(160). https://doi.org/10.3389/fmed.2020.00160
Müller-Spahn, F. (2003). Behavioral disturbances in dementia. Dialogues in Clinical Neuroscience, 5(1), 49–59. https://doi.org/10.31887/dcns.2003.5.1/fmuellerspahn
Nair, B., Browne, W., Marley, J., & Heim, C. (2013). Music and dementia. Degenerative Neurological and Neuromuscular Disease, 3(3), 47–51. https://doi.org/10.2147/dnnd.s35762
Neves, L., Correia, A. I., Castro, S. L., Martins, D., & Lima, C. F. (2022). Does music training enhance auditory and linguistic processing? A systematic review and meta-analysis of behavioral and brain evidence. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 140. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104777
Raglio, A., Bellandi, D., Baiardi, P., Gianotti, M., Ubezio, M. C., Zanacchi, E., Granieri, E., Imbriani, M., & Stramba-Badiale, M. (2015). Effect of active music therapy and individualized listening to music on dementia: A multicenter randomized controlled trial. The American Geriatrics Society, 63, 1534–1539. https://doi.org/10.1111/jgs.13558
Reed, A. (2019, May). Perceived effectiveness of active music therapy for Alzheimer’ s language deficits. Unco.edu.
Wimo, A., Winblad, B., Aguero-Torres, H., & von Strauss, E. (2003). The magnitude of dementia occurrence in the world. Alzheimer Disease & Associated Disorders, 17(2), 63–67.
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
Copyright (c) 2024 Sarah Wang; Amy Jordan, Esme Yan-Yi Lee

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Copyright holder(s) granted JSR a perpetual, non-exclusive license to distriute & display this article.