The Importance of Music for Alzheimer’s Disease Sufferers

Abstract

The issue of how music may impact Alzheimer’s patients, namely by helping regulate emotional instability and being a potential alternative to the usage of verbal language (which is, in most cases, affected in the context of Alzheimer’s), has been examined by some researchers, especially within the fields of Psychology, Musicology and Neuroscience. The topic of music as an attenuator of Alzheimer’s disease symptoms is yet to be explored to its full extent. This article will focus on the case of a Portuguese 90-year-old Alzheimer’s sufferer, Helena. Potential similarities between Alzheimer’s disease and autism, such as the patients' usage of music as a form of communication and self-expression, will be hypothesised, by comparing Helena’s case with the one of Romy — a child with autism —, and by alluding to Adam Ockelford’s literature in this regard. Helena’s reactions to and interactions with music will allow us to understand how music may function as a mood regulator, a way of expressing emotions, and a memory enhancer. In some cases, music is a powerful tool for Alzheimer’s patients' families and caregivers, as it helps improve the quality of the interactions they establish with the patients and optimise their insertion and integration in daily life, which Helena’s case comes to prove.