how the sound of music can help people suffering from alzheimer's _ mail online.pdf

8/14/2019 How The Sound Of Music can help people suffering from Alzheimer's _ Mail Online.pdf

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How The Sound Of Music can help peoplesuffering from Alzheimer's: Singing songs from

hit musicals 'restores memories'

Cognitive test results improved after four months of singing groups

By Damien Gayle

PUBLISHED: 07:24 GMT, 12 November 2013 | UPDATED: 13:45 GMT, 12 November 2013

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Singing songs from hit musicals can boost the brain function of people suffering from Alzheimer's disease,new research claims.

Researchers found regular group singing sessions including classic numbers from the likes of The SoundOf Music helped residents at a U.S. care home improve mental performance.

The most striking effect was seen in people suffering moderate to severe dementia, with participantsscoring higher on cognitive and drawing tests.

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The hills are alive... New research has found that dementia sufferers who take part in

group singing sessions including numbers from classic musicals like The Sound Of Music

can benefit from improved mental performance

Patients also gave more positive responses to a satisfaction with life questionnaire at the end of the

four-month study.The findings of the study, reported by The Guardian, were described at the Society for Neurosciencemeeting taking place this week in San Diego, California.

Lead author Linda Maguire, of George Mason University in Virginia, led care home residents in three50-minute group singing sessions a week for four months, choosing songs that would be familiar to most ofthem.

Numbers included such classics as The Sound Of Music, When You Wish Upon A Star and SomewhereOver The Rainbow.

Cognitive and life-satisfaction tests given before and after the treatment showed a marked improvement

among the singers, while others who came to the sessions but only to listen showed no improvement.

In an abstract describing the study, Ms Maguire said: 'Musical aptitude and music appreciation are two ofthe last remaining abilities in patients with Alzheimers Disease.'

Trailer for classic film musical The Sound of Music


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'The message is: don't give up on these people. You need to be doing

things that engage them, and singing is cheap, easy and engaging'

She added: 'These data show that participation in an active singing program for an extended period of timecan improve cognition in patients with moderate to severe dementia.'

The findings were presented in San Diego by Ms Maguire's colleague Dr Jane Flynn, Associate Professorof Cognitive and Behavioural Neuroscience at George Mason.

She said more care homes should consider holding group singing sessions, which are cheap, entertainingand beneficial to Alzheimer's patients.

'Even when people are in the fairly advanced stages of dementia, when it is so advanced they are in asecure ward, singing sessions were still helpful,' she said.

'The message is: don't give up on these people. You need to be doing things that engage them, and singingis cheap, easy and engaging.'


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Hope: The latest st udy is not the first to find a link between singing and improvement in

the symptoms of Alzheimer's. The UK Alzheimer's Society holds regular group singingsessions across the country

Memory loss is one of the most heartbreaking symptoms to affect people suffering from dementia, butsomehow patients are often able to remember the melodies and lyrics of songs.

Reminding them of these lyrics can help to spur them to revive other memories from the time they firstlearned the song, added Dr Flynn.

The George Mason study is not the first to discover a link between singing and relief of the symptoms ofAlzheimer's. Researchers at Finland's Helsinki University last month looked at the effects a ten-weeksinging course had on sufferers.

They found that 'both singing and music listening improved mood, orientation and remote episodic memoryand to a lesser extent, also attention and executive function and general cognition.

'Singing also enhanced short-term and working memory and caregiver well-being, whereas music listeninghad a positive effect on QOL [quality of life].'

There has long been anecdotal evidence that singing groups help to slow the mental decline caused bydementia and the UK Alzheimer's Society holds regular groups singing sessions across the country.

Read more:

Alzheimer's patients' brains boosted by belting out Sound of Music

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Comments (14)

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Hazel Anne Larmour,Newtownards, 3 hours ago

I nursed a frail Alzheimer's sufferer who was 83 yrs old & no longer communicated. I discovered that when i said 'Eadie, can yousing "She wears my ring."? the lady sang several verses of it word perfect.

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denisherring,christchurch nz, New Zealand, 7 hours ago

I am a total ignoramous regarding scientific, social studies etc etc. but this procedure does work, it has the precicely oppositeeffect of alleged music (I call noise), we have to endure today.

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Michael,Yorkshire, United Kingdom, 8 hours ago

test

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JeffL,London, 11 hours ago

Concert pianist Agi Jambor was still able to play Bach to a very high standard in her late eighties when she was suffering from anadvanced state of Alzheimer's, as videos posted on You Tube prove. Certainly it seems as if the musical faculty is often retainedeven when other functions of the brain deteriorate.

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Brother Anthony,Reading UK, United Kingdom, 11 hours ago

Its called 'Singing for the Brain' in the UK. Its been around for over 5 years, it works and every Town has such groups. We'veseveral here in Reading. Its not just for Dementia - even the Carers who take Dimentia sufferers there come out singing andlooking happy. Singing makes everyone happy, thats why we have Hit Parades, Pop Groups and X Factor.

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clavierking,Christchurch, 13 hours ago

Damian, You are out of touch! It has been done for years here in the UK, especially at a West London premises where membersof the Cabinet have homes nearby.

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NHS Nightmare,Huddersfield, United Kingdom, 13 hours ago

My father's tastes at 85 were Steely Dan and Chris Rea....

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usednurse,Scottish Borders United Kingdom, 13 hours ago

My partner and I are now planning a daily session of singalong! Seriously, songs are stored in a different area of the brain whichis why stroke victims with speech difficulty can still sing perfectly and why dementia patients also retain song lyrics. Anythingwhich takes dementia patients into their own past can prompt evidence of long term memories still being there but the majorproblems are caused by short term memory loss.

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AliCov,Coventry - United Kingdom, 16 hours ago

In some nursing homes I worked , music such as classical and war songs were constantly played for the residents . But the PCbrigade said that playing such music was ageist and insulting because it was assumed that that's what old people listen towithout knowing whether that's what THEY wanted to listen to . I am glad there is now research which shows that that music istherapuetic

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SilverLady,Slough, United Kingdom, 12 hours ago

Absolutely...at the nursing home I visit...they have regular sing-songs and the response is amazing.

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Rubyjas,Bridlington East Yorkshire, 16 hours ago

When I worked in a day centre looking after people with Alzheimers we did this all the time. We constantly played music fromtimes gone by and not only did our service users become more animated but the sang, danced and talked to eachother. Musictherapy is not new. Those with Alzheimers do remember things but their recollections are old, they cant remember recent events.

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