I've Got Music on the Brain

Previously, we have discussed music's ability to enhance cognitive function on Alzheimer's patients as well as those suffering from dementia. We have also discussed the importance of music in elderly life, focusing primarily on the reintroduction of music consumption and production in elderly years. It is important to realize, however, that music contributes to elderly health independently from old age. Playing an instrument as a child or "rocking out" to some tunes as a teenager betters one's chances of establishing healthy life in the aging process.

Older people with the most musical experience scored highest on cognitive tests, study shows

According to a study done by the University of Kansas Medical Center and published in the journal of Neuropsycology, 70 healthy adults, ages 60 to 83 were divided into three groups based on their amount of musical experience: no musical training, one to nine years of music lessons, and at least 10 years of musical study. The participants -- who had similar fitness and education levels and were free of Alzheimer's disease -- were given several cognitive tests. Those with the greatest amount of musical experience did best on these tests of mental acuity, followed by those with less musical study and those who never took music lessons.

Compared to non-musicians, the people with a high degree of musical experience had much higher scores on the cognitive tests, including those related to visuospatial memory, naming objects, and the brain's ability to adapt to new information (cognitive flexibility). The benefits of musical study were still apparent even in those who no longer played an instrument, the researchers said.

Music serves as an exercise for your brain -- expanding its capability and prolonging the ability to better understand and interpret life information as you age. It's clear that there is more to music than mere entertainment, music actually helps health in aging.

Music Keeps You Connected

It's no secret that as one enters the elderly side of life, it becomes more and more difficult to remain connected to society as a whole. Psychological damage comes as a result of lonely elderly and often leaves to a lower standard of living and happiness. Pop culture changes the way we live at different ages, however music is beginning to lessen the gap between the young and old.

According to Andrew Dubber from Music Think Tank, the birth of Rock & Roll was originally directed toward the teenage population across the world. This new genre was exciting and created a sense of community amongst teenagers, allowing them to feel importance in their lives and have a sense of happiness connected to music. Yet, the idea that music is directed towards teenagers no longer holds truth.

This teenage generation is now entering older age -- and are still closely connected to music. Since growing up with this cultural norm, the tradition has remained heavily rooted in their existence and is providing importance in the lives of elderly all over the world.

It’s because the adults have grown up in a world where the consumption of popular music has become so normalised, it’s no longer part of the teen rebellion experience.

Time will tell if the baby boomers will hold a closer connection to society due to their connection with popular media, but the likeliness of connection remains promising.

Music and Elderly Sleep

Sleep, a vital ingredient in life, can sometimes become difficult as humans get older. Luckily, however, researchers at Case Western Reserve University's Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing and the Buddhist Tzu-Chi General Hospital in Taiwan show that listening to soft music at bedtime will help older adults sleep better and longer.

The difference between the music group and the control group was clinically significant," said Lai, lead author of the study. "The music group reported a 26 percent overall improvement in the first week and this figure continued to rise as they mastered the technique of relaxing to the sedative music.

Results also showed lower heart and respiratory rates -- providing evidence of better relaxation and leading to better overall health with the aid of deeper and more restful sleep. Sleep disorders can result in tiredness, fatigue, depression, greater anxiety, irritability, pain sensitivity, muscle tremors and lack of daytime alertness. All treatable with the simply aid of music.

Music as a Temporary Cure for Alzheimer's Symptoms

It is an unfortunate reality that Alzheimer's Disease is readily increasing in the elderly with little to no abate. The cure has not yet been found and symptoms continue to cause pain to those involved -- suffering from both the disease and the diseased.

We all know that music has emotional benefit: it can excite and calm and induce a wonderfully cathartic weeping session. This applies whether you’re healthy or sick; whether you have Parkinson’s or autism or Alzheimer’s. But recent studies have also shown that music actually helps people remember things better!

Studies involving brain activity and music date back many decades -- and we have even discussed many different effects previously here. The most popular, however, is most likely "The Mozart Effect" in which research shows that certain types of music, most notably Mozart, increased brain function and testing abilities. Studies that followed often failed to yield the same results, however, a recent study, found that Alzheimer’s patients can remember new information if it is sung to them much better than if it is spoken (as opposed to healthy people who can remember it equally well when sung as opposed to spoken).


(This video is recommended by a learned Alzheimer's writer: Marty D from theamazingmind.com to aid memory recall in Alzheimer's patients)

Music Levels the Playing Field

It is no secret that cumulative disadvantage plays an integral role in the aging process of many different racial groups throughout the world, and especially in the United States. One major factor in this disadvantage is language.

Living and growing old in a country based on one main language can prove to be difficult for many minority groups and immigrants. Although these groups may prove to be able minded and self-sufficient, language plays a big part in society, allowing for jobs, health insurance, and education to name a few. Not to mention, with the increasing risk of dementia as old age approaches, the language barrier in even English-speaking individuals raises concern. Music is now an answer.

People of all ages relate to and enjoy music, making it a universal language, of sorts. However, its value can go far beyond simple listening.

Juliann Schaeffer

According to Kimmo Lehtonen, PhD, professor of education at the University of Turku (Finland) and a clinical music therapist for more than 25 years, therapists have been using music therapy to promote memory and a sense of self in the treatment of older adults with dementia. Music has the ability to provoke memory, feelings, and emotions -- all things that remain the same no matter which language you speak.

John Carpente, founder and executive director of the Rebecca Center for Music Therapy in New York and a licensed, board-certified music therapist, proclaims that music is used with older adults to maintain or increase their levels of physical, mental, social, and emotional functioning. Music used as a sensory and intellectual stimulation can help maintain a person's quality of life or even improve it.

MAKING Music Aids Physical and Psychological Health in Elderly

Generally, studies of playing music and cognitive and physical health are focused more on the younger generations of society. However, recent studies done by BrainReady -- a group committed to cognitive health and function -- have made waves on adult and elderly conditions.

Learning a new instrument, learning to read or write music -- these activities exercise a wide range of mental skills, with their requirement for delicate and precise finger movements, listening for pitch and rhythm, learning harmony and harmonic complexity, all combined with an emotional dimension, as well as memory.

BrainReady.com

Similarly to Preschool-aged children, adults and elderly were able to score better on IQ tests after participating in learning a new instrument. Brain health is vital in old age and allows for better self-care and less stress on families or outside caretakers, ultimately providing a better living situation and happiness as one enters old age.

Making music can also reduce stress which impacts our bodies and our minds equally. Having a new and creative outlet that one can accomplish on their own yields the way for self-satisfaction and happier outlooks.

Music aids Memory

Aging and memory loss have become rather synonymous in American pop culture. Although not everyone loses his or her memory as they enter old age, cognitive function undoubtedly has the ability to diminish. Certain types of music, such as Mozart and Baroque music - with 60 beats per minute - activate both the left and right sides of the brain. This unfamiliar ability to stimulate both sides of the brain allows for maximum learning and retention of information.

Many students employ this idea of studying to music, and recent studies prove this ability for music to enhance learning and retention does not diminish with age. However, it is important to focus on music without lyrics, because lyrics are often better remembered than other information. Certain types of music also can enhance memory retention. Music becomes "keys" to memory as they play simultaneously as the brain retrieves the information retained with that particular song.

Even better than just listening to music, learning to play music better enhances the ability for one's memory to recall information. As one ages, memory can be better served if he or she practices music.