The Wall Street Journal has an article in its November 17, 2009, issue on the effectiveness of music in unlocking memories in people who have Alzheimer's Disease and other memory problems. While I don't think this would be particularly helpful for the type of dementia we are dealing with, Dementia with Lewy Bodies, I wanted to pass it along for others. In studies of the brain the medial prefrontal cortex appears to be the site where music, memories and emotions meet; and this research indicates that this region of the brain is one of the last to atrophy in people with Alzheimer's Disease. This is not true of Dementia with Lewy Bodies, or at least the manifestation of Dwane's dementia, which is in the frontal lobes. But for anyone with the memory difficulties that accompany many forms of dementia, music may help. The article even suggest particular titles, from the Institute for Music and Neurological Function.
"Fever" by Peggy Lee, "Dawn" by Frankie Valli & Four Seasons, "Unforgettable" by Nat King Cole to name a few. The article suggest loading favorite songs, or these songs from their list, onto ipods so that people with memory problems can listen to them. Personalized music therapy for one hour, three times a week, improved scores on cognitive functioning tests by 50%. It is certainly worth investigating. The article can be read online, "A Key for Unlocking Memories" WSJ, 11/17/09.
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