“Music is magic; it is a backdoor into the mind, into parts of the brain that dementia and Alzheimer’s can shut off.” These are the words of Michael Rossato-Bennett, director of the upcoming documentary “Alive Inside.” You may have seen the YouTube clip (with more than 6.5 million views) that was the starting point for this project. This video clip inspired thousands of people to share similar stories.
The clip highlights Henry, a 94-year-old dementia patient who, for the most part, is responsive to “yes” or “no” questions but cannot give embellished answers. But once the iPod begins playing music from his past, Henry is “awakened.” He immediately lights up and begins rocking his hands and feet and singing along to the music. Once the headphones are taken off, Henry becomes quite receptive and opens up about his love for music in his youth. He then sings the lyrics to his favorite song, “I’ll be Home for Christmas.” Michael Rossato-Bennett hopes that his documentary will spread awareness and encourage the implementation of more music programs for Alzheimer’s and dementia patients.
Studies have found that music can help elicit memories and improve cognitive abilities for patients with Alzheimer’s and dementia. Music therapy can stimulate parts of the brain that became dormant due to degenerative diseases. In one study by Dr. Peter Janata, published in the journal Cerebral Cortex, 13 UC Davis students listened to excerpts of 30 songs chosen from the “top 100” charts over the past decade, and their brain activity was measured using fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging). Researchers found strong activity in the medial prefrontal cortex, which elicits an emotional response and “a mental movie” in the mind. The medial prefrontal cortex largely becomes degenerated with the progression of Alzheimer’s disease.
Studies have found that music can help elicit memories and improve cognitive abilities for patients with Alzheimer’s and dementia. Music therapy can stimulate parts of the brain that became dormant due to degenerative diseases. In one study by Dr. Peter Janata, published in the journal Cerebral Cortex, 13 UC Davis students listened to excerpts of 30 songs chosen from the “top 100” charts over the past decade, and their brain activity was measured using fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging). Researchers found strong activity in the medial prefrontal cortex, which elicits an emotional response and “a mental movie” in the mind. The medial prefrontal cortex largely becomes degenerated with the progression of Alzheimer’s disease.
Music therapy can also help improve cognitive abilities in patients with dementia. Another study conducted by Dr. Concetta Tomaino examined 45 patients diagnosed with mid to late-stage dementia who attended an hour music therapy session three times a week over a 10-month period. The study found that the participants’ scores on a cognitive-function test increased by 50% on average. This is a noteworthy improvement. Although Dr. Tomaino states that music therapy cannot cure neurological diseases such as dementia, “playing familiar music frequently can significantly improve a patient’s mood, alertness and quality of life.”
Beginning a music regime at home can be as simple as programming an iPod with music tailored to a specific genre and era. Music has the power to improve cognitive abilities and bring dementia and Alzheimer’s patients a sense of their own memories and life stories.
Sources:
Alive Inside: A Story of Music and Memory
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1406732546/alive-inside-a-story-of-music-and-memory
Alive Inside:
http://www.ximotionmedia.com/
Music Therapy for Individuals With Alzheimer’s and Other Dementias
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ronna-kaplan-ma/music-therapy_b_1749980.html
