The Role of Singing Familiar Songs in Encouraging Conversation Among People with Middle to Late Stage Alzheimer's Disease

Abstract

Carefully selecting music from the participants' past can encourage conversation. Considering the failure in spontaneous speech in people with middle to late stage AD, it is important to emphasize that group members' responses to each other occurred spontaneously without the researcher's encouragement.

Like a bridge over troubled water – a qualitative study of professional caregiver singing and music as a way to enable person-centred care for persons with dementia

“…The songs and music must be chosen based on the preferences of the individual PWD if they are to have a positive effect. Personalized music has shown itself in previous studies to improve speech (Dassa & Amir, 2014), and the memories and emotions of PWDs connect to music that is personalized (Dassa & Amir, 2014;Ridder, Stige, Qvale, & Gold, 2013;Spiro, 2010). Negative emotions, such as aggression, could also be evoked, as demonstrated in our study.…”

The personal benefits of musicking for people living with dementia: a thematic synthesis of the qualitative literature

“…music therapists) and the environment in which the activity took place. The majority of studies in the review explored the use of music within a group setting and as a shared activity between people with dementia and their support networks (Camic et al, 2013;Dassa & Amir, 2014;Hara, 2013;McCabe et al, 2013;McDermott et al, 2014;Tuckett, Hodgkinson, Rouillon, Balil-Lozoya & Parker, 2015;Unadkat et al, 2016). These music groups were viewed primarily as a social activity in which, over time, a supportive group culture could be developed whatever the encountered environment:…”

Receptive music interventions improve apathy and depression in elderly patients with dementia

“…68 In addition, music has been observed to improve naming ability and speech fluency and content, as well as the drive to communicate, in patients with dementia.In fact, music training leads to recruitment of right hemisphere areas involved in speech processing, leading to improved language comprehension. 69,70 Another limitation of our study is not have assessed whether gains on apathy and depressive symptoms reduction, and on caregiver burden decrease might remain in long term. Although some suggest that the effects of these interventions may be persistent, 71 be temporary and only present on the day following each music therapy session.…”