For people living with dementia(痴呆)，a new program offers a supportive path to building social connections and reducing loneliness through music. Led by the Institute for Therapy through the Arts,Musical Bridges to Memory(MBM) is a12-week program designed to bridge relationships between people with dementia, their families, and the greater community that serve them through live musical interactions, training, and research in music-based approaches.
MBM gags participants in weekly sessions, which include interactive performances and training in communication skills to improve caregivers'relationships with loved ones living with dementia. According to a 2022 study that examined MBM's impacts, this music-based therapy(疗法)can increase social engagement between caregivers and their loved ones despite ongoing declines in cognitive(认知的) health.
Research shows people with dementia benefit from interventions that control their preserved cognitive and functional abilities. Music taps into our implicit memory(内隐记忆)，linking us to past experiences and emotions without the need for conscious awareness. This is especially true for music that is personally meaningful to us, such as a favorite song, which can promote brain plasticity and cognition.
Neurologist Dr. Ronald Devere notes,"Musical understanding,musical emotion, and musical memory can survive long after other forms of memory and cognitive function have disappeared. " Even as cognition declines,music can help to promote connection and shared communication--making it an efficient tool to support people with dementia.
In addition to improving communication,MBM positivelyimpacts mood and alleviates the caregiver's burden. Caregivers who participated in this program reported significant reductionsinodistress(痛苦) as a result of improved communication through music. In short,the program's positive health impacts extend beyond individuals with dementia to their families and loved ones because it facilitates communication and social connection,particularly in cases where verbal language is no longer possible.
These findings add to decades of research that demonstratesmusic can positively impact our health, and they provide further insights into the benefits of the MBM program to people with dementia and their caregivers. They also correspond with other community-based interventions to useo music to promote healing.
