Music And Alzheimer’s: The Awakening Of Emotions

Music and Alzheimer’s have a strange, powerful, fascinating relationship. Patients in an advanced stage of the disease suddenly experience an amazing awakening when listening to a song of their youth, that music full of rhythm that almost, without knowing how, unlocks memories and cognitive capacities until it envelops them in an ocean of wonderful emotions …

Some say it is little more than a mystery. Neurologists comment that it is our brain, that for a reason that we still do not know, it preserves intact those areas linked to long-term musical memory. Psychologists, for their part, as well as therapists and family members who care for their loved ones on a daily basis, know that music is above all a consolation for these people suffering from a devastating illness.

Perhaps the name of Glen Campbell is familiar to many  . He was one of the icons of country music in the United States throughout the 60s and 70s. He passed away not long ago, after a hard coexistence with Alzheimer’s. His could be any story, like that of many others who, having had a fabulous life, full of successes, difficulties and unforgettable moments, must face an illness that erases or blurs their memories.

Well, Glen Campbell’s case has been one of the most striking from a clinical point of view for a very specific reason: he never stopped singing or playing his guitar. Moreover, when he did, he regained part of his lucidity, to the point of being able to make several tours where at certain times he spoke with his audience commenting that, curiously, he had managed to disengage from alcohol, but not from that “detestable” disease.

An undoubtedly fascinating case, a story that invites us to ask ourselves what is behind this relationship between music and Alzheimer’s …

Music and Alzheimer’s, a mystery that is beginning to be solved

It has been known for a long time. Scientists have always been very aware that there was a unique link between music and Alzheimer’s, a retaining wall where a strange agreement was reached: the progressive degeneration of the brain does not affect those structures related to long-term musical memory. However, it was not until relatively recently that, thanks to new neuroimaging techniques, something as interesting as it was revealing has been observed.

According to a study carried out at the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences in Leipzig, these areas related to musical memory have been located for the first time, discovering, as the researchers themselves expected, that they were (almost) intact.

Dr. Jörn-Henrik Jacobsen, responsible for this work, indicated that until not long ago the idea that our musical capacities were located in the temporal lobes was maintained. However, the diagnostic tests clearly showed something else: musical memory is located in the supplementary motor cortex. To this privileged area, to this magical corner of our brain, Alzheimer’s and its destructive shadow do not arrive with so much impact. The loss of neurons is less and the deposit of amyloid protein is not so affected. That is, the function in this area is still active, it is still working.

Likewise, another interesting aspect that could be observed is the following: as the disease itself progresses, wearing down our cognitive processes, new connections appear in the gingival gyrus. It is as if the brain itself tries to preserve, almost desperately, a part of the essence of the person itself, activating those areas related to music and our emotions.

And that is where an imprint of our vital breath remains, there waiting in silence for the music to wake us up for a moment, a wonderful fragment of time where we can once again be (almost and only almost) ourselves …

Benefits of music in Alzheimer’s patients

One thing we know about the relationship between music and Alzheimer’s is that the first media in our autobiographical record. There are moments in our life cycle that are linked to a song, a melody, a specific context, the people who made it up and the emotions experienced.

Thus, when an Alzheimer person hears a meaningful melody for him, related to his person and his past, what we get is the following:

• Reduce anxiety and distress.
• Decrease agitation.
• Improve their mood and get the person to reconnect with their environment. Now, the most fascinating thing is that it is an emotional connection, it is like an awakening to feelings, enjoyment and a pleasure that until just a few seconds ago, remained in lethargy.

How to help my loved one through music if they have Alzheimer’s?

At this point and knowing that there is a very positive direct relationship between music and Alzheimer’s, it is very possible that many of our readers who have a family member with this disease want to enjoy a moment of connection with him. What’s more, what we want most of all is to see a smile appear on their faces.

Let us take note, therefore, of those guidelines that we must carry out to do it well, in the best way:

• Think about the musical preferences of your family member, those songs, those melodies, ballads or concerts that are part of their life.
• Choose the most appropriate time, a moment of the day where you are calm.
• Create a conducive environment, without external stimuli, a calm, comfortable room.
• Apply headphones to your family member. The musical experience is more meaningful, the concentration is more intense and the effect stays longer in the brain.
• Encourage movement, help him keep up with the rhythm, clap your hands, move your feet, or even try dancing with him. The experience will be more rewarding.

Lastly, remember to pay attention to their reaction. It is possible that some music does not appeal to you or that there are others that invite you to react in a more positive way. Be that as it may , the most important thing is that we are present with them, that we feel them part of us and that for a moment we  embrace them feeling how their essence, their authentic being, emerges again …