“Alive inside” – a documentary film of this name shows what music can do for people with dementia. “I can’t remember anymore,” says a 90-year-old woman when asked what her life was like. “I’ve forgotten so much. I’m sorry.” But just a short time later, the memories and stories just bubble up out of her. She now has headphones on and is listening to music by Louis Armstrong. The 2014 documentary is touching.
Better cognitive abilities, less restlessness and depression
The power of music in Alzheimer’s and other dementias has now been scientifically proven. “It has been shown that music therapy can improve cognitive abilities in people with dementia,” write the authors of a summary analysis of eight studies published in 2020. In these people, the perceived quality of life immediately after the intervention and long-term depression also improved. Listening to music was the most effective, but singing also helps, according to the analysis.
A young woman throws money into a container on the walker of an elderly lady who is singing in an underpass. (Archive photo) | © Annette Riedl/dpa
Another team focused solely on Alzheimer’s in a study published in 2024: The result suggests that treatment with music therapy improves the brain performance of patients with Alzheimer’s disease, it concluded in the summary analysis of eleven studies. Brain performance in general, speech, orientation and memory improved. According to another meta-study, music therapy can also help against restlessness in people with dementia. The team evaluated twelve specialist articles and presented the results in the journal “Frontiers of Psychology”.
The bunch of keys in the refrigerator can be an indication that a person is developing dementia. (Archive image) | © Karl-Josef Hildenbrand/dpa/dpa-tmn
Workshops for amateur musicians
The findings are being put into practice, for example by the North Bavarian Music Association (NBMB). The association organizes participatory concerts for people with dementia in the “A Song for You” project. “At our concerts, there were people in the audience who seemed to no longer react to anything. When they sing along to well-known songs that they know from their childhood or Christmas carols, they suddenly know the lyrics. That is really fascinating,” reports a musician named Ulrike, who regularly plays in senior citizens’ centers with her amateur ensemble.
A woman holds the hand of her husband who suffers from dementia. (Archive image | © Daniel Naupold/dpa
In addition, amateur musicians can receive further training in workshops at the NBMB, based in Unterpleichfeld near Würzburg, if they want to bring music to care facilities. Together with the Technical University of Würzburg-Schweinfurt, it has also developed a guide to corresponding digital music offerings.
What else can be done against dementia
The North Bavarian Music Association uses the power of music to reach people with dementia and their relatives. | © Monika Feldmeier/Nordbayerischer Musikbund/dpa
The number of people suffering from dementia is increasing worldwide. According to estimates by the World Health Organization (WHO), 55 million people currently have dementia. This number will rise to 78 million by 2030 and 139 million by 2050, the organization estimates. Although dementia is considered a disease of old age, it does not only affect older people. In up to 9 percent of cases, the disease occurs before the age of 65, according to the WHO.
While dementia was previously considered almost inevitable in many cases, there is now increasing evidence that the disease can often be prevented or at least delayed by various measures. Risk factors for dementia include lack of physical activity, obesity and diabetes, smoking and alcohol consumption, high blood pressure, social isolation, depression, low education, brain injuries, hearing loss and air pollution.
The so-called Lancet Commission on Dementia recently caused a stir with a new assessment. According to the international team, 45 percent of all dementia cases can be prevented or at least delayed. In addition to the 12 potentially preventable risk factors mentioned, the commission also listed 2 more: treating impending vision loss and high cholesterol levels can also have a preventative effect.
World Alzheimer’s Day on Saturday
Dementia is an umbrella term for several diseases that can affect memory, cognitive abilities and behavior. Alzheimer’s is the most common form. According to the WHO, it accounts for 60 to 70 percent of cases.
World Alzheimer’s Day on Saturday, September 21, is intended to draw attention to the needs of Alzheimer’s patients. On that day, events such as lectures and benefit concerts will take place in many cities and towns. According to the German Alzheimer’s Society (Berlin), there are 1.8 million people suffering from dementia in Germany alone. “Even if a cure for the disease is not currently possible, the sick and their families can be helped through medical treatment, advice, social support, expert care and much more,” says the society. “Music is considered the ‘royal road’ to dementia patients,” it writes.
