When Tony Bennett's family announced that he was suffering from Alzheimer's, few could have predicted that the singer would hold two huge concerts, singing dozens of songs and remembering all the lyrics. However, when it comes to music and the brain, there is a very special connection.
But Bennett's ability to revive his memories of music and lyrics in the face of Alzheimer's disease is not so strange to neurologists.
Music is a powerful memory booster. Hearing a song that is important in your life, from a wedding or a special event, triggers all this memory. And this remains true even when a neurodegenerative disease has "stuck" the brain. Many people with Alzheimer's may have trouble remembering recent events or conversations. They may forget the names of their loved ones. But despite these shortcomings, they are still able to bring back musical memories long after other memories have faded.
Numerous studies have noted the benefits of music for autobiographical and episodic memory, and even for cognitive function and psychiatric symptoms, in both healthy people and those with Alzheimer's.
But why does the memory of music remain intact while cells in other parts of the brain begin to die?
The biology of musical memory
Music activates many areas of the brain. This includes the sensory regions that process sounds, as well as the amygdala, which has a key role in emotional processing. The amygdala is also important for encoding the emotional qualities of memories. One hypothesis is that these areas of the brain are more resistant to cell death.
In a 2015 study, researchers studied the regions of the brain that are activated when we listen to popular songs. The researchers identified specific parts of the brain that respond to these songs in healthy people. Next, they examined the brains of people with Alzheimer's disease. They found that the areas involved in processing these musical memories showed little atrophy, or cell death.
In another study, photographic memories declined significantly, while musical memories remained intact. Researchers are realizing the importance of music in "releasing" memories in people with Alzheimer's. What's more, researchers are finding that the areas of the brain that help us encode music-related memories are the last to be damaged by Alzheimer's.
That's why music therapies are a powerful way to help people, even those in the later stages of Alzheimer's, connect with the memories they still have.
Music therapy for Alzheimer's
For these reasons, music therapy is not an unknown intervention for Alzheimer's symptoms. Around the world there are several music programs aimed at improving the quality of life for people with Alzheimer's. Approaches can include passive listening, creating playlists of old songs to trigger memories, or even playing or singing music, like Tony Bennett does.
Compared to medical treatments and other available therapies, music therapy is pleasant and easy to administer, and has the added advantage of being able to bond with and remember family members.
While Bennett may struggle with his memory due to Alzheimer's, he never misses a beat when it comes to music. Music therapy is not exclusive to musicians. For anyone who has enjoyed music at some point in their life, it can be a way to channel that inspiration to family members going through their own Alzheimer's experience.
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