Music Therapy Brings Dementia Patients Back To Life

[Retired]

Music Therapy Brings Dementia Patients Back To Life
Medscape News
August 23, 2012



The article cited above is related to the video posted above. Because the article is very long, I've posted just an excerpt of the article, and a link to the full article. I found the video tobe touching, and informative, and includes comments by Dr. Oliver Sachs, one of my personal heroes in neurology.

The video has gone viral on You Tube, and is called Old Man In Nursing Home Reacts To Hearing Music From His Era

The Medscape article elaborates on the recent findings that show customized music therapy seems to bring some Alzheimer's and dementia patients back to life.

Here's and excerpt:

The surprising popularity of a 6-minute video uploaded to YouTube last spring is bringing enthusiastic attention to music therapy programs as a possible way to improve symptoms in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and dementia.

A program known as Music and Memory was created by former social worker Dan Cohen as a way to "awaken" memories in these patients through the use of personalized music selections played on mp3 players. A documentary about him and the program, entitled Alive Inside, is currently in production; it is a video clip from this documentary that garnered unbelievable attention.

With more than 6 million views, the clip features "Henry," an elderly man with dementia who is first shown slumped over in his chair, barely acknowledging those around him. But after headphones are slipped on him, he instantly lights up and becomes more animated, even humming along with the music.

More dramatically, after the headphones are taken off, he is shown being able to answer questions and even sings snippets of his favorite songs.

See HERE for the rest of the story.

Or...download/print the attached complete article