Musical Memories

By Brooke DeNisco, Activity Connection Music is deeply embedded in multiple parts of the brain, so people can often recall songs they love, even with memory loss. Humans respond and remember harmony or musical chords. This memory gets deeper with repetition. If you’ve heard a song hundreds of times, the harmony becomes almost embedded in the brain. Often, music is associated with emotion or big events, like graduations, weddings, and holidays. Music drives people to tap their feet, snap, or dance. People have a greater capacity for recall when something is harmonic, repetitive, coupled with physical activity, and sparks emotion. Studies have shown that music may reduce agitation experienced by people with dementia. Even in the late stages of Alzheimer’s, a person may be able to tap a beat or sing lyrics to a song from their youth. Music decreases levels of the stress hormone cortisol. When you listen to music, your brain releases dopamine. One small study found that just anticipating a song’s harmony can get dopamine flowing. Dopamine is a mood elevator, and with heightened mood comes a better capacity for problem-solving. Incorporating a person’s favorite music into their daily routine can help them cope better with stress and may encourage them to move or exercise more. Enjoying music with others is a low-pressure way to socialize and connect. This is beneficial to caregivers as well as people with memory loss. Listening to music that brings joy causes blood vessels to expand, increasing blood flow and improving cardiovascular health. A review of 26 studies covering almost 1,400 heart disease patients found that music reduced heart rate, blood pressure, and anxiety. Singing is particularly powerful. George Mason University researchers demonstrated that people with dementia who participated in choirs or sing-alongs showed improved cognition compared with their non-singing peers. Find out what music a loved one or person you care for with dementia enjoys. Try asking them or their family members. Many have the most emotional musical experiences in their teens and twenties. If a person was born in 1945, for example, they might enjoy hits from 1960 to 1970. Free streaming services like Spotify are ideal for creating personal playlists. For people around 80, the Top Hits of 1955 is a good starting point.