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Music Always Lifts, Despite Dementia

Lady with dementia in a program called "Soundtrack of Our Lives"
VIDEO + ARTICLE: Even in dementia, the power of music speaks to our souls. Watch how this power made a news anchor cry. Learn about new research that shows this to be always true. (Video+Article)

Stereotypically viewed as passive and immobile, a University of Otago pilot study has shown the powerful influence music and dance can have on older adults with dementia.

Researchers from the Department of Dance and Department of Psychological Medicine used familiar, reminiscent music and the natural gestures of a group of 22 participants to create an original series of dance exercises.

Music, Memory & Mood

Lead author Ting Choo, Dance Studies Masters graduate, says the aim was to promote a better quality of life for people with dementia by providing memory stimulation, mood moderation and social interaction.

Performed over 10 weekly sessions, the intuitive movement re-embodiment (IMR) program provided humor, imagination, and intuition which motivated the participants to dance and interact with joy.

The study results, published in the American Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease & Other Dementias, show participants reported significant improvements in their quality of life after session six.

Great Response, Regardless of Physical Limitations

“They responded to the music greatly and showed enthusiasm in moving to the music regardless of their physical limitation. Positive responses such as memory recalling, spontaneous dancing and joking with each other were observed in every session.

“These observations have certainly reversed the stereotypical understanding of this group of people being passive and immobile. The music stimulates their responses much better than verbal instructions,” Ms Choo says.

The researchers now intend to expand the pilot study, refining and enlarging the IMR programme to better cater to the needs and conditions of the participants.

Ms Choo hopes further research will gain the programme support and recognition from the medical community.

The Future, Creativity & Dementia

“There is scope for future exploration of creativity and dementia.”

She believes the use of arts, including painting, music, drama and dance, has been undervalued in the clinical field, due to a lack of standardized conduct and consistent study results.

“As a former dancer and current dance educator, I understand the ‘less important role’ of arts in the society, as well as the insignificant therapeutic effects of music and dance for dementia, when compared to clinical research of much larger scale,” she says.

REFERENCE:

SOURCE:

  • Department of Dance
    School of Physical Education, Sport and Exercise Sciences
    University of Otago

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Norrms
Norrms
September 3, 2019 7:13 am

Hi, a very short Video about our Mp3s for those with dementia, please share and / or copy and paste

https://youtu.be/VXVgF3X3UVc

Norrms xx

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P. Berger

This site was inspired by my Mom’s autoimmune dementia.

It is a place where we separate out the wheat from the chafe, the important articles & videos from each week’s river of news. Google gets a new post on Alzheimer’s or dementia every 7 minutes. That can overwhelm anyone looking for help. This site filters out, focuses on and offers only the best information. it has helped hundreds of thousands of people since it debuted in 2007. Thanks to our many subscribers for your supportive feedback.

The site is dedicated to all those preserving the dignity of the community of people living with dementia.

Peter Berger, Editor

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This site was inspired by my Mom’s autoimmune dementia.

It is a place where we separate out the wheat from the chafe, the important articles & videos from each week’s river of news. Google gets a new post on Alzheimer’s or dementia every 7 minutes. That can overwhelm anyone looking for help. This site filters out, focuses on and offers only the best information. it has helped hundreds of thousands of people since it debuted in 2007. Thanks to our many subscribers for your supportive feedback.

The site is dedicated to all those preserving the dignity of the community of people living with dementia.

Peter Berger, Editor

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