How Music Affects Memory

Music & Memory:

A Dynamic Duet

Music is a powerful agent in preventing memory loss as well as improving the quality of life for those Alzheimer’s patients who have already suffered memory loss. Caregivers and patients can both benefit from the addition of music in their lives.

November is National Alzheimer’s Awareness Month, so it is fitting to recognize the complexities surrounding not only the disease and its increasing prevalence, but also the potential disruption it causes in the lives of the patient and caregiver in terms of depression, anxiety, anger, and fatigue. There are currently over 5 million Americans attempting to cope with the memory-robbing effects of Alzheimer’s, the most common type of dementia.  The numbers will continue to climb as over 10,000 baby boomers turn 65 each day.  Their risk of being struck by the disease doubles every five years so that by the age of 85, one out of two will be afflicted.

While lab researchers continue to search for a cure, other scientists are conducting noteworthy advances with music as a means for providing therapeutic benefit.

The Alzheimer’s Foundation of America website, www.alzfdn.org/educationandcare/music, states, “when used appropriately, music can shift mood, manage stress-induced agitation, stimulate positive interactions, facilitate cognitive function, and coordinate motor movements.” This site suggests that patients should engage in rhythm playing and singing (e.g. clapping, foot tapping, drumming), as these movements may activate the brain’s motor center and bypass the disease-ridden mental processing areas of the brain.

While movement can activate functioning areas of the brain, merely listening to songs for which a patient has a pleasant emotional memory may change behavior. It is most helpful to have a playlist of favorite songs, but at the very least, be cognizant of a patient’s response to a song and stop playing it if they become distressed. While “Amazing Grace” may evoke happiness in some, it may remind others of funeral services and bring sadness.

A study conducted in 1999 at a Miami VA Medical Center by the University of Miami School of Medicine revealed that serum melatonin, norepinephrine, and epinephrine levels increased after Alzheimer’s patients received 30-40 minute music therapy sessions five times per week for four weeks. This helps explain why music can have a soothing and calming effect.

One of the most interesting recent discoveries that led to an outpouring of public support comes from a news documentary “Alive Inside” released in April 2012. In this story, social worker Dan Cohen showed us how he creates personalized playlists for elderly residents living in New York City nursing homes and places their favorite songs, chosen by loved ones, on an iPod for them to enjoy. One 92-year-old resident, Henry Dryer, “came alive” when a nursing home worker put headphones on his ears; he changed from sitting speechless and motionless in his wheelchair to declaring, “It gives me a feeling of love, romance!” (www.abcnews.go.com/health: “Alzheimer’s Disease: Brings Patients ‘Back to Life!’”)

Cohen began his work in 2006 and was so inspired by “awakenings” from elderly dementia residents that he founded a non-profit, the iPod Project, which collects new and used iPods to share with nursing home residents. If you would like to learn more or donate an iPod, visit www.musicandmemory.org. This site also gives instructions on how to work with someone you love to help them set up their own iPod and how to create playlists. The main objectives are to reconnect loved ones with their inner self, those around them, and their memories; to help them become more alert, attentive, and calm.

If you’re interested in exploring ways to preserve your own memory, then a great source for insightful information comes from Dr. Richard Isaacson, a neurologist specializing in Alzheimer’s disease, and author of a recently released book entitled Treating Alzheimer’s, Preventing Alzheimer’s: A Patient and Family Guide, 2011 Edition. He worked with professional musicians, neurologists, psychologists, and nurses to create a program that exercises the mind and stimulates memory. He contends that you should be an active participant with respect to music, whether it’s playing an instrument, beating a drum, or using his CDs to try something new. Visit www.musictherapyformemory.com for more information.

There is a lot we need to learn about the brain and how music has an impact on memory and aging. But in broad terms, research indicates that if you want to reduce your risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, keep your mind active by doing something new with it on a consistent basis; learn to play a new instrument, create your own tunes or noise, or learn to memorize old songs. Hopefully, you’ll have fun in the process!