Dementia Research Paper

Dementia and the Medication of Music

Dementia: a disease that attacks the mind, personality, behavior, language, and mood of a patient, as well as their ability to interact with others. This disease attacks the abilities of its victims while leaving them and their families feeling hopeless. Dementia, having no cure, depends on medicine to lessen the symptoms that it reaps on over “thirty-six million people” (Ridder, 2013, p.668). However, this medication sometimes leaves the patient with even more burdens that threaten their life due to the negative side effects that comes along with this fast “remedy” to partially cure the effects of Dementia. Why must people seek medications that partially help other symptoms while causing new complications

Opening the doors to a new remedy that has virtually no negative side effects is what is needed for this disease. The medicine and best cure for Dementia is found within the application of music therapy. The power that music has on a person both mentally and physically is immeasurable. This form of art has endless possibilities, and the affect that it causes within the body is different for every person. With such a beautiful and powerful tool, it is time that something should happen to better the lives of people who are in need of a medicine that is stronger and less toxic to the body. Not only is music therapy inexpensive, but it also carries no negative consequences when applied to patients with Dementia. Numerous studies have proven and shown the positive effect music therapy has on the lives of Dementia patients. More so, “Music draws us together, offering intimacy, creativity, and a lifeline in difficult or confusing times of stress or illness” (Bridges, 2005, p.154). What are we waiting for? Music therapy offers the best medication, carrying the remedy that is needed for the lives and well-being of all people who are

What a great question! Music therapy is used to stimulate and influence behavior, enhance the functioning of the brain while, “addressing needs for relaxation, social interaction, reduction of anxiety, and creative self-expression” (Bridges, 2005, p.149). This type of therapy is music based and can either be active, receptive, or passive. Within active music therapy, there is participation among the patients where they will sing, play instruments, talk or dance. Therapists can bring in Orff instruments for patients to play with, songs to sing along with (relatively easy ones with ostinatos), and dance with music (such as the YMCA or Chicken dance). For receptive (listening), patients can be involved without having to be active. Instead, participants can talk about the music through expressing their memories that are stimulated through listening to a song of their preference or choose to be passive when hearing the music. This approach can stimulate the mind of the patients and increasing communication and language during that time. Along with this, there is the option to play recorded music (cds, cassettes, radio etc.) or have live performers come to play. Live music is especially great because studies show that having live music seems to be the most effective in patients with Dementia (Sherratt, 2004, p.238). As Vasionytė (2013) writes, “live music creates a stronger sense of reality and because the patient can observe the