Lifetime Musical Activities and Cognitive Function of the Elderly

Abstract

Decreasing cognitive function of the elderly is one of the most common problems that might affect their quality of life. Music is an element that is believed to be able to contribute to the quality of life of the elderly. However, whether musical activities that are done throughout the life span related to cognitive function is unclear. In this research, we evaluated the association between lifetime musical activities and cognitive function. Fifty three older adults from three nursing homes in East Jakarta were selected and interviewed regarding their characteristics and lifetime musical activities. Cognitive function was also measured using Mini Mental State Examinaion (MMSE). The results of this preliminary study revealed that a possibility of an association between lifetime musical activities and cognitive function of the elderly was indicated. The result also showed that the participants who were not actively involved in musical activities during their lifetime were twice more likely to develop cognitive function impairment than the elderly who were actively involved in musical activities, after being adjusted by the characteristics. These correlational results suggest the beneficial effect of musical activities throughout the life span on cognitive functioning for the elderly. Keywords: Aging, elderly, cognitive function, music Abstrak Penurunan fungsi kognitif merupakan salah satu masalah umum pada lanjut usia yang mampu memengaruhi kualitas hidup mereka. Musik merupakan sebuah elemen yang dipercaya mampu berkontribusi terhadap kualitas hidup mereka. Meski demikian, hubungan antara aktivitas musikal yang dilakukan sepanjang hidup dan fungsi kognitif lansia belum diketahui secara pasti. Pada penelitian ini, hubungan antara aktivitas musikal sepanjang hidup dan fungsi kognitif dievaluasi. Lima puluh tiga lansia penghuni panti tresna werdha di Jakarta Timur dipilih dan diwawancarai terkait karakteristik dan aktivitas musikal sepanjang hidup mereka. Fungsi kognitif juga diukur menggunakan MMSE. Hasil penelitian ini menunjukkan adanya kemungkinan asosiasi antara aktivitas musikal sepanjang hidup dan fungsi kognitif lansia. Hasil penelitian juga menunjukkan bahwa partisipan yang tidak aktif melakukan aktivitas musikal sepanjang hidupnya dua kali lebih berpeluang untuk mengalami gangguan fungsi kognitif dibandingkan dengan mereka yang aktif melakukan aktivitas musikal, setelah disesuaikan dengan karakteristiknya. Hasil korelasi ini mengisyaratkan pengaruh bermanfaat dari aktivitas musikal sepanjang hidup terhadap fungsi kognitif lansia.

Gambaran fungsi kognitif pada lansia di Desa Koka Kecamatan Tombulu

“…Dalam bidang kesehatan, masalah baru yang seringkali dihadapi ialah berhubungan dengan cara untuk selalu mempertahankan kesehatan dari para lansia sehingga para lansia mampu untuk melanjutkan fungsi kehidupan seperti: mampu beraktifitas fisik, serta mempertahankan fungsi sosial dan fungsi kognitif. 3 Kognitif adalah salah satu fungsi tingkat tinggi otak manusia yang terdiri dari beberapa aspek seperti; persepsi visual dan konstruksi kemampuan berhitung, persepsi dan pengguanan bahasa, pemahaman dan penggunaan bahasa, proses informasi, memori, fungsi eksekutif, dan pemecahan masalah sehingga jika terjadi gangguan fungsi kognitif dalam jangka waktu yang panjang dan tidak dilakukan penanganan yang optimal dapat mengganggu aktifitas sehari-hari. 4 Di kalangan lansia sendiri penurunan fungsi kognitif merupakan penyebab terbesar terjadinya ketergantungan terhadap orang lain untuk merawat diri sendiri akibat ketidakmampuan dalam melakukan aktifitas sehari-hari.…”

Association between educational level and hypertension with decrease of cognitive function among elderly at Puskesmas Mengwi I

“…In order to achieve 'optimal aging' , they must be able to continue their life function as well as they can, such as being able to physically, socially and cognitively function. 4 One of the health problems that often arise in the elderly population is the decline in cognitive function. Cognitive function itself is obtained through the interaction between the formal environment of education and non-formal environment that is obtained from everyday life.…”

The neuropsychological profile of older adult musicians and non-musicians : implications for cognitive reserve in late life.

“…Other studies examining older adult musicians have not tested a range of cognitive domains (Nevriana, Riono, Rahardjo, & Kusumadjati, 2013), did not study neuropsychological functioning at all but rather dementia diagnosis (Balbag, Pedersen, & Gatz, 2014), or examined musical knowledge and its relationship to semantic and episodic memory (Gooding, Abner, Jicha, Kryscio, & Schmitt, 2013). Nevriana et al (2013) studied correlations on scores of a common cognitive screening measure (MiniMental State Exam, MMSE) of musicians in nursing homes who were involved in music activities and those who were not.…”

“…Nevriana et al (2013) studied correlations on scores of a common cognitive screening measure (MiniMental State Exam, MMSE) of musicians in nursing homes who were involved in music activities and those who were not. They found that there was a correlation between MMSE scores and lifetime musical activities.…”