Medicine

Music soothes dementia victims and their caregivers

Music soothes victims of dementia and their caregivers
Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania have found that music has powerful therapeutic power in dementia. At the same time, she calms not only patients with dementia, but also those who care for them.

Previous research has shown that so-called music therapy can improve the quality of life of patients with Alzheimer's disease and related disorders. And now, the first study has been conducted that examined how music affects not only the state of mind of victims of senile dementia, but also their caregivers, that is, those who care for them. And quite often this role is performed by spouses, adult children, as well as other relatives. Caring for a patient with dementia is a very difficult, exhausting task that undermines the caregiver's health quite a lot.

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The study found that caregivers felt less depressed after participating in so-called music sessions, during which patients with dementia listened to different kinds of songs, and were also able to dance and simply move rhythmically to the music. The authors of the study emphasize that in all other scientific work on this issue, caregivers are almost always ignored. And they also need at least some relief from their emotional suffering.

One in 10 carers of a dementia patient thinks about killing him

The incidence of dementia in the world is constantly growing, which is associated with an increase in life expectancy. Perhaps senile dementia is also affected by an unhealthy lifestyle associated with low mobility, poor nutrition and the reluctance of modern people to read books. Reading is one of the most effective types of gymnastics for the mind, and this kind of exercise, as has been repeatedly confirmed in the course of experiments, strengthens memory and intelligence. (READ MORE) University of Pennsylvania

University of Pennsylvania

Medicine

US private research university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania