The Effectiveness of Music as Complementary Therapy for Dementia

Abstract

Dementia affects approximately 50 million people worldwide, with projections estimating this number to rise to about 152 million by 2050. In Japan, the prevalence of dementia is particularly high among the elderly, with a certain percentage also exhibiting mild cognitive impairment(MCI). Dementia stems from a variety of underlying diseases leading to higher brain function impairments, encompassing Alzheimer’s disease, vascular dementia, Lewy body dementia, and frontotemporal lobar degeneration, among others. Symptoms of dementia are categorized into core symptoms such as memory disorders, disorientation, and executive dysfunction, as well as behavioral and psychological symptoms like insomnia, wandering, hallucinations, and delusions. Currently, in the absence of definitive treatment drugs, complementary therapy are emphasized, with complementary therapies such as exercise and music therapy showing effectiveness. Specifically, interventions combining exercise and music for healthy elderly individuals as well as those with mild to moderate dementia have demonstrated improvements in cognitive functions and maintenance of daily living activities. Furthermore, with the pandemic of the novel coronavirus, the efficacy of online dementia prevention programs has been explored, observing improvements in specific cognitive functions such as the N-back task. Moreover, systematic reviews on music therapy have confirmed its positive impact on the behavioral and psychological symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease, pointing out the need for further research.