Emily Kim

Music and the Brain: Therapeutic effects of music in Alzheimer’s Disease

Started Apr. 14, 2022

Abstract or project description

Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that occurs through aging. There are currently an estimated 6.5 million Americans 65 and older that live with AD. While the most common treatment for this disease is the use of drugs like galantamine, rivastigmine, and donepezil, these treatments are not cures and the exploration of other treatment methods could be beneficial for patient outcomes. Studies have shown that music and the brain have many connections, such as inducing feelings of nostalgia, and with further research, music therapy could certainly become a way to treat memory impairments in AD patients. In this review article, I will show not only music’s basic interventions on patients with Alzheimer’s Disease, but also my perspective as a musician on how this research can be put into further action today. Music can have multiple benefits on the human brain and with the research described and summarized in this review article, I hope music can become a more common method of treating memory impairments caused by Alzheimer’s Disease as well as other neurodegenerative disorders.