Using music therapy in order to improve the well-being of people suffering from dementia is a temporary solution to a serious health condition. These treatments may be delivered in a variety of forms, which can be individualistic, in a group, proactive, or moderate. Overall, these therapy options have demonstrated that, depending on the patient, it can improve one's cognitive remembrance, mental health, mood, and behavioral skills. Although this discovery is a major breakthrough for the medical community, it is important to acknowledge that each individual develops differently thus, these general trends may not be applicable in their situation.
Keywords: music therapy, dementia, cognitive, mental health, mood, behavior, individual
Introduction
Music has been used as a therapeutic remedy for an assortment of conditions, including mental illnesses, pregnancy, insomnia, and more. Among these, dementia is a common condition that develops with old age and can cause people to become irritable, forgetful, and depressed. In recent years, scientists have begun to focus on music therapy for these patients, since there is no true cure for the disease. This treatment comes in many different forms, ranging from actively listening to combining music with other cognitive exercises, such as reminiscing past memories [2, 7]. However, patients who participate by singing along have been notably one of the most effective options for improving cognitive function, mental wellbeing, and sociability in many studies [2, 3, 5]. These methods can be more general playlists or songs specifically targeting someone's memories and emotions. The goal of this treatment is to improve one's cognitive skills, mental health, short and long term moods, and behaviors. Here, the success of music treatment options were observed to evaluate the effect on the overall well being of dementia patients, thus people who are unfamiliar with the topic can obtain a better understanding.
Reinstituting cognitive and reminiscence functions
Cognitive awareness and reminiscence skills are the most frequent functions that diminish with dementia. Two studies found that actively engaging in the music treatment by singing and combining physical activity is more effective in enhancing cognitive skills compared to simply listening to a song or reading the lyrics [1, 5]. Singing the songs aloud instead of reading them off a page facilitated a productive speaking fluency demonstrated by the subjects ability to recall words without pausing [5]. Similarly, taking part in a task helped improve call-and-response skills as well as being able to develop a reason behind a statement for patients with moderate cognitive decline. This positive change due to music is correlated with shared neural pathways between cognitive and perceptual processes [1]. With this, reminiscence skills were also stimulated when researchers used curated playlists to evoke specific memories from one's past [2, 7, 8]. Playing certain songs associated with a patient's past allowed them to remember activities such as baking an old recipe or the rules of a childhood game [7, 8]. Furthermore, post treatment sessions, it helped them to reflect upon the themes they learned and interact with their surroundings accordingly [2, 7].
Improving mental health symptoms
Developing depression and anxiety are two major mental health changes associated with dementia. Oftentimes in the early stages of the disease, people become sorrowful that their memory is not functioning optimally, and they can feel their health declining. However, studies
have demonstrated that music therapy, whether it be singing or listening to itemized playlists, can help to decrease this tension within one’s mind and induce a calming feeling [5, 6]. Particularly, studies found a significant decrease in depression symptoms, which encompasses attentiveness, enjoyment, and reactions [5, 9]. This decrease correlates with an increase in self worth by patients and feeling content with themselves and their situation instead of dwelling and about their health [8]. However, this trend was not consistent amongst all studies evaluated. Two studies found no significant quantitative evidence to support that there was an improvement in mental health status after receiving individualized music treatments [4, 6]. But, even though the quantitative evidence may not always reflect the outcome, patients have reported feeling a sense of levity after listening to music and enjoyed participating in the activity [6].
Facilitating a hopeful mood
Mood differs from mental health as it involves more emotions towards something as opposed to the ability to engage and interact. Regardless of the treatment method, there was consistently evidence that music had a parallel effect on the patient's mood, which is summarized in Table 1. Similar to mental health, some studies did not find any significant test results indicating a change in mood based on the delivery of music. But again, the subjects did report feeling happier when exposed to positive music, and experienced negative emotions when listening to sad songs which they connected to [6, 8]. Notably, patients reported a decrease in agitation and apathy when participating in music treatments, proving that they are aware that although they may not feel great, they do feel less negative [4, 8]. Furthermore, this change in mood was observed not only by the patient’s reported feelings, but their expressions as well. Several studies indicated how being involved with upbeat music caused the subjects to smile and laugh, all of which prove how their mood has uplifted and helps maintain a level-head [1, 3, 7, 9].
Table 1 Comparison of various music therapy types on change in mood
Therapy type Effect on mood Reference
Upbeat music + physical
activity Positive 1
Upbeat + personal listening
playlist Positive 2, 7, 8
Sorrow + personal playlist Negative 2, 4, 6, 7
Upbeat music + singing Positive 3, 9
Table 1 summarizes the different combinations of music therapies in the literature and how the type of treatment alters a patient from their neutral mood.
Influencing sociability and positive behavior
Mood tends to coincide with behavior, but when managing a medical condition it is difficult to make that comparison. However, numerous studies did corroborate that music therapy
does positively affect behaviors as well. When listening to personally curated playlists, people became more interested in the activities and were engaging more respectfully with their caregivers [2, 6]. Furthermore, patients described feeling eager to participate in the treatments, regardless of the setting. Oftentimes, patients would choose the group therapy treatments where they were singing and following along to specific songs together [1]. They reported how singing encourages a sense of belonging and community, which made them joyous to interact with others [3]. Likewise, this live social stimulation helped to reduce psychiatric symptoms and interactions, such as withdrawal, by distracting them with something that triggers a separate pathway in the brain [1, 5]. Group treatments facilitated personal socialization, as patients felt as if they could use music as a way to express their emotions by making connections with others about how they feel [7, 8].
Conclusion
The lack of knowledge regarding a pharmacological remedy for dementia has not stopped scientists from evaluating different potential treatments. Music therapy demonstrated that it is capable of producing positive results in an array for dementia patients. Particularly, it has proven to increase cognitive and remembrance skills, as well as inspire healthier behaviors and social interactions. In addition, music therapy has been recommended for patients with deteriorating mental health, as it can increase their sense of self worth. Mood specifically highlights the effect of music on a patient's well-being by showing the parallels between the kind of music (happy/sad) on the feelings they are experiencing. Although these treatment options are a productive method for bettering the lives of loved ones, ultimately this is completely conditional. It is important to note that everyone is different, thus this treatment may not be effective for all, thus it is important to have a diverse demographic and open mind. While it is crucial that scientists continue to look for a more clinical option, further investigation into how to quantitatively observe change in one’s well-being using music instead of just reflective accounts would be beneficial.
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