Music is woven into the material of our each day lives. Whether it's lifting our spirits, pushing us to run faster or lulling us to sleep, all of us Recognize its power. So it isn't any wonder that it's increasingly getting used in medical treatment.
As well as being very useful Cancer treatmentmanagement Chronic pain And even helping the mind Recovery after strokeresearchers are also making great strides in using music to assist dementia patients.
It reduces patients Anxiety and depressionand Improves well-being For them and their caregivers By increasing Everyone's ability to adapt and deal with adversity or stress.
Music therapy It may also be in the shape of playing, singing or listening to music. Positive influence On cognitive function – especially for Older adults Either with dementia or memory problems.
So why does music appear to have such a strong effect on individuals with dementia?
Music and the Mind
About a decade ago, The researchers discovered When people take heed to music, multiple parts of the brain are involved in processing it. These included limbic (which processes emotions and memory), cognitive (involved with pondering, learning and responding) and motor areas (liable for voluntary movement). This challenged preconceived notions that music is processed more narrowly within the brain – and helped explain why it has such a singular neurological effect.
Not only that, research shows that music may help Regenerate the mind and its connections. Many Causes of Dementia Centers around cell death within the brain, raising the chance that music may help individuals with dementia by repairing or strengthening damaged neural connections and cells.
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It's not only music that has a regenerative effect on the brain. Familiar and favorite music It has been shown to have the best impact on the way in which we feel, and is closely related to memory and emotions. This is as a consequence of listening to our favourite songs. Releases feel-good hormones. Which makes us feel glad. A curated music playlist of favorite music will be key in helping us cope. The stress of everyday life.
This is said to Alzheimer's and other types of dementia because researchers have discovered that certain parts of the brain Memories of music These conditions are less affected than other areas of the brain. This explains why memories and experiences are connected. Favorite music Often reserved for such people.
It can be possible to take heed to music. Help manage Their suffering, movement and “sunset“- where an individual is more confused within the afternoon and evening.
In one A short study In research carried out by us and our colleagues on the Cambridge Institute for Music Therapy, now we have shown how listening to music can have a profound effect on individuals with dementia. We found that when individuals with dementia repeatedly take heed to their favorite music, their heart rate and movements change in direct response.
This showed that individuals's physiological responses are influenced by musical features similar to rhythm and arrangement. Their heart rate also modified once they sang along to the music, or once they recalled old memories or stories while listening to the song or occupied with the music. These changes are essential because they explain how music affects movement, emotion, and memory.
Studies have also shown that individuals with dementia during and after listening to music Experienced less movementaggression and anxiety, and their general mood improved. Even once they had regular music sessions, they needed less medication.
Other researchers have also begun to look at the results of Music training programs To support cognition for individuals with dementia. The results up to now have been promising – adults within the study showed higher executive functioning (problem solving, emotion regulation and a spotlight) than those that only participated in physical exertion.
Therefore, it is probably going that music will proceed to be a useful clinical treatment for individuals with dementia. But based on what we all know up to now, it's essential that it comes from the patient's own music collection – and that it's used along side other management techniques, similar to the use of medicine that slow the progression of dementia. May or may help manage symptoms to support self-care and wellness. .