Dementia is the most significant health issue facing our aging population. With no cure to date, there is an urgent need for the development of interventions that can alleviate symptoms of dementia and ensure optimal well-being for people with dementia and their caregivers. There is accumulating evidence that music is a highly effective, non-pharmacological treatment for various symptoms of dementia at all stages of disease progression. In its various forms, music (as a medium for formal therapy or an informal activity) engages widespread brain regions, and in doing so, can promote numerous benefits, including triggering memories, enhancing relationships, affirming a sense of self, facilitating communication, reducing agitation, and alleviating depression and anxiety. This book outlines the current research and understanding of the use of music for people with dementia, from internationally renowned experts in music therapy, music psychology, and clinical neuropsychology.
Music has always been used as a balm for ailing minds. Only recently, however, has it become possible to understand how music achieves its effects in our brains and why it may be a therapeutic tool in people with dementia. This book presents the state of the art of the field, showing how insights from cognitive science inform music-based therapies, illustrating the breadth of approaches and instruments and highlighting new directions. It is an invaluable resource for music therapists, psychologists and neuroscientists and for all caretakers of people with dementia."
