In the 1960s, the Spanish Marta danced at a high level as a ballerina in New York. The music of composer Pyotr Tchaikovsky allows her to remember the choreography.
“It is a very moving video”, Alzheimer Nederland said in a response. “The effect of music on people with Alzheimer’s disease has been proven before.”
–
–
People with Alzheimer’s disease, a form of dementia, have trouble with their memory. Yet Marta can still remember her dance moves from more than 50 years ago. How is that possible?
Memories come back
“When listening to music, all different areas of the brain are active”, explains music therapist and researcher Naomi Rasing of the University Medical Center Groningen. “Not all areas are affected by the dementia. As a result, you keep certain memories, in this case the dance movements.”
“As you can see with Marta, she automatically moves with the music. That’s because her brain has made a link with the music and the movements she has repeated so many times in her life.
–
–
What is dementia?
Dementia is a disease in which the mental abilities are seriously diminished. As a result, a person is less able to perform daily activities that were previously performed effortlessly or not at all. This includes problems with dressing, preparing food, taking medication correctly, or paying bills.
In the Netherlands, Alzheimer’s is the most common form of dementia and accounts for 70 percent of all cases. Memory disturbances are usually noticeable at first. Later, someone with Alzheimer’s develops problems with thinking, acting and language. He / she can also have to deal with changes in character and behavior.
Source: Alzheimer Netherlands
–
–
Music therapy is more commonly used in people with dementia. “Music influences behavior and emotions”, Alzheimer Nederland says. “We have also seen before that people who have not spoken for a long time suddenly start singing along to their well-known songs.”
Now deceased
Rasing has also noticed the effect. “People can also become brighter and more present in the moment. You sometimes see that people are more restless than usual because of Alzheimer’s. Listening to music can make someone calm.”
Marta’s video was shot in Spain last year. The former dancer has since passed away. As a tribute, the video was posted on the Internet a few days ago.
–
–
:strip_exif()/i/2002175237.jpeg?f=fpa "TP Vision investigates streaming quality problem on Philips TVs – Image and sound – News")
