June is Alzheimer’s & Brain Awareness Month, an opportunity for people of all ages to learn more about the brain and support those struggling with Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementia.
Alzheimer’s disease:
- Affects over seven million Americans
- Is the seventh-leading cause of death among U.S. adults
- Kills more individuals than breast cancer and prostate cancer combined
- Is the only leading cause of death among the top 10 causes of death in America that cannot be prevented, cured or slowed
The Alzheimer’s Association asks people around the world to wear purple, the official color of the Alzheimer’s movement, during June to raise awareness about the disease.
While there is no cure for Alzheimer’s, certain therapies have proven effective in helping patients recall memories and emotions. Researchers have found that music improves mental performance, effectively awakening memories in people who have undergone music therapy. Both singing along and listening to music are helpful, with those who sing along displaying the most improvement.
Researchers attribute this boost in brain activity to the following factors:
- Music evokes emotion that can restore memory more effectively than anything else. Incorporating music into everyday activities can help patients develop a rhythm that allows them to recall the memory of that activity.
- Musical aptitude and appreciation are two of the last remaining abilities in patients with Alzheimer’s and dementia. This makes it easier to reach patients whose disease has progressed.
- Music fosters emotional and physical closeness. As dementia advances, the ability to share emotions declines. Music helps by encouraging dancing, which in turn can lead to physical contact. That may bring security and awaken memories.
- Singing stimulates the brain. Singing engages the left side of the brain, while listening to music provokes activity on the right side. All this brain stimulation gives patients a mental boost.
- Music can boost mood, help patients manage stress, stimulate positive interactions and improve cognitive function. Music requires little or no mental processing, freeing up cognitive regions of the brain.