The Neuroscience of Music and Alzheimer's

There is a growing body of evidence that music can arouse distant memories in persons suffering from Alzheimer's disease. Music is also soothing.

Alzheimer's Reading Room

Alzheimer's patients do react positively to music.

Last year while watching TREME on HBO, out of the clear blue sky Dotty starting singing the words to a song that was written in 1932 -- Not a Ghost of A Chance -- An Alzheimer's Disease Out of the Box Moment.

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We have other articles on music. Here are a few samples:

• The Power of Music in Alzheimer’s Disease
• Music Boosts Memory in Alzheimer’s, Is this Why the Poop Song Works
• Does Music Unlock Memory in Alzheimer's Sufferers
• Seniors Bring Song, Hope To Alzheimer Patients
• LIFESTYLE CHANGES AND MUSIC AS ALZHEIMER’S THERAPY?

I read an article about the neuroscience of music. Some of you might find this of interest.

When listening to our favorite songs, our body betrays all the symptoms of emotional arousal. The pupils in our eyes dilate, our pulse and blood pressure rise, the electrical conductance of our skin is lowered, and the cerebellum, a brain region associated with bodily movement, becomes strangely active. Blood is even re-directed to the muscles in our legs. (Some speculate that this is why we begin tapping our feet.) In other words, sound stirs us at our biological roots.

Because the scientists were combining methodologies (PET and fMRI) they were able to obtain an impressively precise portrait of music in the brain. The first thing they discovered (using ligand-based PET) is that music triggers the release of dopamine in both the dorsal and ventral striatum. This isn’t particularly surprising: these regions have long been associated with the response to pleasurable stimuli.

If you would like to read an interesting article about this research go here --The Neuroscience of Music

If you would like to read more about the science go here -- Anatomically distinct dopamine release during anticipation and experience of peak emotion to music

More Insight and Advice for Caregivers

• How Alzheimer's Destroys the Brain -- Video
• Test Your Memory for Alzheimer's (5 Best Self Assessment Tests)
• What is Alzheimer's Disease?
• What is Dementia?
• What’s the Difference Between Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia
• Communicating in Alzheimer's World

Original content Bob DeMarco, the Alzheimer's Reading Room