People with Dementia Respond to Music

Music affects mood in everyone. When someone's memory goes, music from long ago may still bring joy. When you visit someone with dementia, play some music.

Even when they are confused about which room they’re in, people with dementia may burst into perfect renditions of songs they first learned when they were young — typically about 14, a time of self-discovery and strong emotions, when the brain center, the amygdala, tagged memories as important.

When memory goes, music sticks the longest.

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Music affects mood in everyone. If you like Frank Sinatra’s hit “My Way,” the very first bars activate your amygdala and other parts of your brain that trigger dopamine, a chemical even scientists call happy juice. 

The benefits may go much further than you’d imagine. Music has been shown to reduce depression and boost immunity. It can help tame chronic pain problems. Studies show that music, especially when it is pleasant and beloved, is more than a distraction. It seems to alter your body’s pain signals in your spine and elsewhere. 

In a study of patients who had surgery for a shin fracture during a motorcycle crash, those who received standard drugs and listened to music of their choice before and while their wound dressing was changed experienced less pain. The control group received only the drugs.

To cheer up a loved one with dementia, consider a gift of familiar music that is triumphant, soothing, or peppy. According to an overview of 13 randomized controlled clinical trials, music can help reduce anxiety in dementia patients and calm agitated behavior.

It can even allow doctors to prescribe less medication, according to the results of a three-year study of more than 4,000 participants living in California nursing homes. Patients who listened to personalized playlists used 13 percent less antipsychotic drugs and 17 percent less antianxiety medications over three months. They were less likely to report pain and show symptoms of depression. The number of days they took medication fell by 30 percent, as well.

A nonprofit called Music and Memory teaches caregivers how to create music playlists. You can see a film about its impact in New York City here. Look for 20 to 30 top hits from when your loved one was 15 to 25 years old.

If you’re living with a loved one with dementia, play a personalized playlist in the room where she spends the most time. If she’s living elsewhere, she may not be able to handle an MP3 player by herself. But if you give her a simple one loaded with her favorites (and good headphones), a homecare worker or staff in a facility can help.

Visit and sing the songs she likes with her. Ask staff to offer her 30-minute sessions before medical appointments or social occasions.

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