Alzheimer’s disease is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by tau pathology and amyloid-beta plaque deposits. It is a public health problem affecting more than 50 million people worldwide; with an increase in the elderly population and life expectancy, it is estimated that the prevalence of AD will triply by 2050. Unfortunately, there is currently no cure for AD.
However, music therapy is a non-pharmacological treatment that can minimize AD symptoms. In AD, music appreciation is one of the last areas to go, as it remains relatively preserved because of where it is located in the brain. Music has proven to be an effective and non-pharmacological intervention, as it improves the mood of the patient, encourages movement, encourages communication with their loved one, and can help connect music to a past memory.
I think it is particularly amazing how music appreciation and musical memory are independent of other memory systems and how it is partially preserved during AD.
