Music can be naturally therapeutic and especially beneficial to people with Alzheimer’s disease. Research suggests music can help people with the condition recall past events and emotions, allowing a better connection with loved ones.
“Listening to a song from 30 or 40 years ago or from your childhood can draw on your long-term memory,” says Karen Martinez, PhD, a neuropsychiatrist with the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health, in Las Vegas. Long-term memory tends to stay accessible further into the disease’s progression than short-term memory. Music “also taps into a person’s emotional network, which can help their mental health,” she says.
As Alzheimer’s progresses, music can also be used for motivation, such as encouragement or a reminder to wake up, take a walk, de-stress, or unwind.
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