Music
activates several brain areas, including the amygdala, which is
involved in the processing of emotion, and the medial prefrontal cortex,
which is involved in the retrieval of both long- and short-term
memories
Music
can have a powerfully therapeutic effect on patients with dementia,
helping them recall otherwise irretrievable memories, regain a sense of
self, and reconnect with family members over shared memories
Dementia patients who listen to their favorite music require less psychotropic medication to control their behavior
By Dr. Mercola
Music is a potent form of communication. It conveys emotion —
oftentimes far more effectively than words alone. When you hear music,
many areas of your brain light up, including your nucleus accumbens, a
part of your brain that releases the feel-good chemical dopamine and is
involved in forming expectations.
The amygdala, which is involved in the processing of emotion, and the
prefrontal cortex, which makes abstract decision-making possible, are
also activated.1
Certain hormones are also released. Oxytocin, for example, a bonding
hormone released during interactions with loved ones, is released when
singing together.2
Many evolutionary biologists believe music was fundamental in our
ability to function as humans and hold together large communities of
people, as music is capable of producing oxytocin, i.e., bonding and
sharing emotions, on a massive scale. Over the past decade, researchers
investigating treatments for dementia
and Alzheimer’s have discovered the benefits of music as therapy. The
2014 documentary “Alive Inside” demonstrates the remarkable benefits
music can have on patients with dementia.
Personalized Playlists Improve Behavior and Reduce Medication Use
To evaluate the effects of the kind of music therapy featured in
“Alive Inside,” researchers implemented the “Music & Memory”
program3 in 98 nursing homes, and compared the results with 98 nursing homes without the program.4,5,6
Endpoints evaluated included the discontinuation of antipsychotic
and/or anti-anxiety medication, reductions in disruptive behavior and
improvement in mood. They found dementia patients who listened to music
personalized to their tastes did in fact require less psychotropic
medication to control their behavior. Over the course of six months:
Over 20 percent of patients receiving music therapy were able to
discontinue their antipsychotic medication, compared to an average of
17.6 percent prior to the implementation of the program. In nursing
homes without the music program, discontinuation rates remained stable
The proportion of residents with reduced dementia-related
behavioral problems increased from 51 percent to 57 percent; behavior
problems in the comparison group remained unchanged
“The individualized music program designed for nursing homes …
didn’t improve mood problems, but patients who listened to music
tailored to their tastes and memories did need less anti-anxiety and
antipsychotic medication, researchers found.
‘Alzheimer's disease and related dementias can result in aggressive
or other difficult behaviors, which affect people's lives and take a
toll on their caregivers,’ said lead author Kali Thomas, an assistant
professor at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. ‘We think
that familiar music may have a calming or pleasurable effect and reduce
the need for caregivers to use medications to control dementia
behaviors’” …
A similar study called “Classical Connections,” commissioned by the
Santa Barbara Chamber Orchestra, is investigating the therapeutic
benefits of live classical performances compared to recordings.8
Lead researcher Lori Sunshine, a music therapist, talks to the
participants before and after each performance, and compares their
reactions to recordings of the music.
Overall, it appears live performances have even greater benefits, in
large part because of the social interaction that takes place.
Interestingly, the benefits go far beyond mere improvements in mood and
behavior. It appears music has the ability to actually trigger or
reactivate memory, and even helps improve physical mobility.
How Music Helps Reignite Memory
Some of music’s benefits appear to be rooted in its familiarity.
That is, a person’s favorite music, or songs they associate with
important events, can trigger a memory of the song’s lyrics, the related
event, and even the feelings and experience of it. The reason for this
is because music strongly activates brain regions involved in memory,
such as the amygdala — in a sense unlocking memories surrounding or
associated with that particular piece of music.
“It brings upon all four quadrants of the brain to be activated. So
all the neurons are being stimulated. The brain is enlivened and more
activated. So, you’re more inclined to hear a person who can’t remember
something, remember something,” Sunshine explains.9
Music also activates your medial prefrontal cortex, a brain region
behind your forehead thought to be selectively involved in the
retrieval of both long- and short-term memories.10 This is one of the last brain areas to atrophy among Alzheimer’s
patients, which helps explain how music can help reactivate memories
even in patients with Alzheimer’s, which is the most severe form of
dementia.
As noted by Petr Janata, Ph.D., associate professor of psychology
at University of California (UC) Davis’ Center for Mind and Brain, who
has mapped brain activity of subjects as they listened to music:11
“What seems to happen is that a piece of familiar music serves
as a soundtrack for a mental movie that starts playing in our head. It
calls back memories of a particular person or place, and you might all
of a sudden see that person’s face in your mind’s eye … Now we can see
the association between those two things — the music and the memories.”
In the video below, the late Dr. Oliver Sacks, neurologist and author
of “Musicophilia: Tales of Music and the Brain,” explains how listening
to familiar music may allow Alzheimer’s patients to access memories
that have otherwise become inaccessible.
Regaining a Sense of Identity
The recollection of music can also help revive a dementia patient’s
sense of identity, and help them reconnect with family members over
shared memories. The success of the technique depends on nursing staff
being able to figure out a patient’s musical preferences, which is why
you may want to ask your aging relatives about their favorite songs now
(or relay yours to your caregivers) just in case.
It’s also dependent on a person’s interest in music throughout life.
You don’t have to be overly musical to appreciate music emotionally, as
virtually everyone does, but as noted in the World Journal of
Psychiatry:12
“[Music therapy] would not be appropriate for a person who did not
have an appreciation for music prior to the onset of cognitive
impairment. A positive correlation is expected between the degree of
significance that music had in the person’s life prior to the onset of
dementia and effectiveness of the intervention.”
Music and Your Brain
Another documentary illustrating the power of music and the success of
the Music & Memory program for dementia patients is “Music on the
Brain,” an ABC Catalyst production. As noted on Music & Memory’s
website:13
“[M]usical favorites tap deep memories not lost to dementia and can
bring participants back to life, enabling them to feel like themselves
again, to converse, socialize and stay present … The results can be
nothing short of miraculous.”
The goal of Music & Memory is to train care professionals on how to
set up personalized playlists for dementia patients in their care, and
there are hundreds of Music & Memory certified care organizations14
throughout the U.S. and Canada. If you would like to contribute to this
cause, feel free to make a donation to Music & Memory.15 You can also donate your old iPods to the program.16 All Apple music players in working condition are accepted.
“Music on the Brain” also illustrates how music can be used for other
neurological conditions that don’t involve dementia. In addition to
activating areas involved in memory, music also activates brain regions
that control movement — a finding that has led to music being used to
help people with diseases like Parkinson’s, multiple sclerosis, stroke
and other neurological disorders.
Emerging research suggests music may be an effective non-drug intervention for these conditions.17,18
People who ordinarily are unable to control their movements are
suddenly able to follow the beat of a song and dance. The music seems
to provide an external rhythm that bypasses the malfunctioning signals
in the brain.
The Rise of Psycho-Acoustic Medicine
In all likelihood, you’re bound to hear more and more about
psycho-acoustic medicine, a term describing the practice of using sound
to affect physical and psychological health. As noted in a recent The
Mind Unleashed article:19
“[T]he practices of using sound and frequencies to impact the
physical and emotional health of the body has been used since the
beginning of time. From Gregorian chants in churches, to the chanting of
Tibetan monks, to Native American drumming, song and sound have been a
catalyst in stimulating health and healing for the body and mind in
all cultures.
The definition of psycho-acoustic medicine is the science of how
music and sound impact the nervous system, psychologically and
physiologically. Simply, how it is how sound impacts the mind and the
body.”
In summary, sound frequencies are the internal communication system for
your brain. Different frequencies activate different brain regions,
thereby affecting neurotransmitters and hormones. When it comes to
memory, by tapping areas of your brain linked to both emotions and
memory, music can act as a back door to help you access past events
that would otherwise be lost. As Music & Memory put it:
“Even for persons with severe dementia, music can tap deep
emotional recall. For individuals suffering from Alzheimer’s, memory
for things — names, places [and] facts — is compromised, but memories
from our teenage years can be well-preserved. Favorite music or songs
associated with important personal events can trigger memory of lyrics
and the experience connected to the music.
Beloved music often calms chaotic brain activity and enables the
listener to focus on the present moment and regain a connection to
others. Persons with dementia, Parkinson’s and other diseases that
damage brain chemistry also reconnect to the world and gain improved
quality of life from listening to personal music favorites.”
If you’re a caregiver to someone with dementia, creating a personalized
playlist for him or her is a simple way to help them reconnect with
the outside world and feel like themselves again, even for a little
while. On a larger scale, if you have a loved one in a nursing home,
you may want to suggest they consider the use of individualized
playlists for all of their residents. The Music & Memory
organization can help.20
Other Strategies to Help Prevent Dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease
It’s important to realize that dementia, including Alzheimer's, is
largely a preventable disease, predicated on your lifestyle choices to
enhance mitochondrial function. This is good news, as it puts the power
into your hands. Diet is paramount, and the beauty of following my optimized nutrition plan is that it helps prevent and treat virtually all chronic degenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease.
Considering the lack of effective treatments, prevention really
cannot be stressed strongly enough. The following suggestions can help
protect your brain health well into old age:
Eat real food, ideally organic
Avoid processed foods of all kinds, as they contain a number of
ingredients harmful to your brain, including refined sugar, processed fructose, grains (particularly gluten), vegetable oils, genetically engineered ingredients and pesticides like glyphosate (an herbicide thought to be worse than DDT, which has already been linked to the development of Alzheimer’s).
Ideally, you’ll want to keep your added sugar levels to a minimum and
your total fructose below 25 grams per day, or as low as 15 grams per
day if you already have insulin/leptin resistance or any related
disorders. Opting for organic produce will help you avoid synthetic
pesticides and herbicides.
Most will benefit from a gluten-free diet, as gluten makes your gut
more permeable, which allows proteins to get into your bloodstream where
they sensitize your immune system and promote inflammation and
autoimmunity, both of which play a role in the development of
Alzheimer’s.
Replace refined carbohydrates with healthy fats
Your brain does not need carbs and sugars; healthy fats such as saturated animal fats and animal-based omega-3 are far more critical for optimal brain function. Healthy fats to add to your diet include avocados, butter, organic pastured egg yolks, coconuts and coconut oil, grass fed meats and raw nuts such as pecans and macadamia.
Avoid all trans fats or hydrogenated fats that have been modified in
such a way to extend their longevity on the grocery store shelf. This
includes margarine, vegetable oils and various butter-like spreads.
Contrary to popular belief, the ideal fuel for your brain is not
glucose, but ketones. Ketones are what your body produces when it converts fatinto energy.
The medium-chain triglycerides (MCT) found in coconut oil and MCT oil
are a great source of ketone bodies. Also make sure you're getting
enough animal-based omega-3 fats. High intake of the omega-3 fats EPA
and DHA help by preventing cell damage caused by Alzheimer's disease,
thereby slowing down its progression and lowering your risk of
developing the disorder.
Optimize your gut flora
To do this, avoid processed foods, antibiotics and antibacterial
products, fluoridated and chlorinated water, and be sure to eat
traditionally fermented and cultured foods, along with a high-quality
probiotic if needed. Dr. Steven Gundry does an excellent job of
expanding on this in his new book “The Plant Paradox.” I will be interviewing him later this year, but his innovative approach has great potential to help your health.
Intermittently fast
Intermittent fasting
is a powerful tool to jump-start your body into remembering how to burn
fat and repair the insulin/leptin resistance that is a primary
contributing factor for Alzheimer’s.
Move regularly and consistently throughout the day
It's been suggested that exercise can trigger a change in the way the amyloid precursor protein is metabolized,21
thus, slowing down the onset and progression of Alzheimer's. Exercise
also increases levels of the protein PGC-1 alpha. Research has shown
that people with Alzheimer's have less PGC-1 alpha in their brains and
cells that contain more of the protein produce less of the toxic amyloid
protein associated with Alzheimer's.
Optimize your magnesium levels
Preliminary research strongly suggests a decrease in Alzheimer symptoms with increased levels of magnesium
in the brain. Unfortunately, most magnesium supplements do not pass the
blood brain levels, but a new one, magnesium threonate, appears to and
holds some promise for the future for treating this condition and may be
superior to other forms.
Get sensible sun exposure
Research shows people living in northern latitudes have higher rates
of death from dementia and Alzheimer's than those living in sunnier
areas, suggesting vitamin D and/or sun exposure are important factors.22
Sufficient vitamin D is imperative for proper functioning of your
immune system to combat inflammation associated with Alzheimer's. If you
are unable to get sufficient amounts of sun exposure, make sure to take
daily supplemental vitamin D3 to make your blood level at least 40 to
60 ng/ml. This is typically about 8,000 units of vitamin D for most
adults.
That said, it’s important to recognize that sun exposure is important
for reasons unrelated to vitamin D. Your brain responds to the
near-infrared light in sunlight in a process called photobiomodulation.
Research shows near-infrared stimulation of the brain boosts
cognition and reduces symptoms of Alzheimer’s, including more advanced
stages of the disease. Delivering near-infrared light to the compromised
mitochondria synthesizes gene transcription factors that trigger
cellular repair, and your brain is one of the most mitochondrial-dense
organs in your body.
Avoid and eliminate mercury from your body
Dental amalgam fillings are one of the major sources of heavy metal
toxicity; however, you should be healthy prior to having them removed.
Once you have adjusted to following the diet described in my optimized
nutrition plan, you can follow the mercury detox protocol and then find a biological dentist to have your amalgams removed.
Avoid and eliminate aluminum from your body
Common sources of aluminum include antiperspirants, nonstick cookware
and vaccine adjuvants. For tips on how to detox aluminum, please see my
article, “First Case Study to Show Direct Link between Alzheimer’s and Aluminum Toxicity.” There is some suggestion that certain mineral waters high in silicic acid may help your body eliminate aluminum.
Avoid flu vaccinations
Most flu vaccines contain both mercury and aluminum.
Avoid statins and anticholinergic drugs
Drugs that block acetylcholine, a nervous system neurotransmitter,
have been shown to increase your risk of dementia. These drugs include
certain nighttime pain relievers, antihistamines, sleep aids, certain
antidepressants, medications to control incontinence and certain
narcotic pain relievers.
Statin drugs are particularly problematic because they suppress the
synthesis of cholesterol, deplete your brain of coenzyme Q10, vitamin K2
and neurotransmitter precursors, and prevent adequate delivery of
essential fatty acids and fat-soluble antioxidants to your brain by
inhibiting the production of the indispensable carrier biomolecule known
as low-density lipoprotein.
Limit your exposure to non-native electromagnetic fields (cellphones, Wi-Fi routers and modems)
The primary pathology behind cellphone damage is not related
specifically to brain tumors, or even to cancer. The real danger lies in
damage from the reactive nitrogen species peroxynitrites.23
Increased peroxynitrites from cellphone exposure will damage your
mitochondria, and your brain is the most mitochondrial-dense organ in
your body.
Increased peroxynitrite generation has also been associated with
increased levels of systemic inflammation by triggering cytokine storms,
autonomic hormonal dysfunction and mitochondrial dysfunction.
Peroxynitrite is an unstable structural ion produced in your body
after nitric oxide is exposed to superoxide, and this complex chemical
process begins with exposure to low-frequency microwave radiation from
your cellphone, Wi-Fi and cellphone towers.24,25
Challenge your mind daily
Mental stimulation, especially learning something new, such as
learning to play an instrument or a new language, is associated with a
decreased risk of dementia and Alzheimer's. Researchers suspect that
mental challenge helps to build up your brain, making it less
susceptible to the lesions associated with Alzheimer's disease.
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