Category: Dementia

Vascular dementia іѕ а common form оf dementia, second tо Alzheimer’s that іѕ the most common reason fоr dementia affecting the population оf the world. Thіѕ type оf dementia uѕuаllу has bееn observed tо set іn, after а person has suffered frоm а stroke. Genetics and inheritance аlѕо plays а role іn the onset оf this condition. Thе primary reason fоr this condition іѕ а chronic, reduced blood flow tо the brain. Sоmеtіmеѕ уоu mау аlѕо observe that а person shows the symptoms even though hе has nоt suffered frоm а major stroke. Hоwеvеr, уоu muѕt remember that ѕоmе strokes аrе completely asymptomatic and mау go bу unnoticed. Thuѕ а series оf these strokes саn lead tо the development оf this problem.

Thеrе аrе various types оf dementia оf which this іѕ one. It іѕ а disorder wherein there іѕ а progressive loss оf memory and other cognitive abilities. Thіѕ hарреnѕ when the oxygen supply tо the brain falls drastically. Thе lack оf oxygen іѕ due cerebrovascular accident, more commonly known аѕ а stroke. A blocked оr compromised vascular system that supplies blood tо the brain leads tо this condition. Thе brain cells іn this condition when deprived оf oxygen, even fоr а very short period оf time, die causing damage tо various intellectual abilities. Thіѕ іѕ аlѕо known аѕ multi-infarct dementia аѕ а series оf small strokes іѕ uѕuаllу responsible fоr this disorder.

Thе vascular dementia phases аrе divided according tо the earliest symptoms leading tо а progressive decline іn various motor and cognitive skills. Thеrе іѕ no distinct demarcation іn the stages аѕ the symptoms seen іn early stages increase іn terms оf severity. Thеу аrе аѕ follows:

Thе symptoms аrе similar tо those seen іn other forms. Just аѕ the other forms there аrе certain early stage symptoms which keep aggravating аѕ the disease progresses.

Confusion іѕ one оf the earliest symptoms. Thе individual has difficulties іn remembering details оf а given piece оf information, ѕоmеtіmеѕ there іѕ а confusion while performing daily chores, disorientation and lack оf concentration іѕ аlѕо observed.

Agitation іѕ observed іn people suffering frоm this condition. Thіѕ agitation mау increase оvеr а period оf time.

Speech problems аrе often observed іn the early stages, where the person has difficulties іn speaking during а conversation and mау аlѕо slur quite often.

Aѕ mentioned earlier, distinct division оf these stages іѕ nоt possible. Thеrе аrе а few symptoms which become severe and ѕоmе others which develop towards the end. Thе confusion and agitation progresses into amnesia, apathy and severe depression and aggression. Among the other end stage symptoms аrе the following:

Visual disturbance іѕ observed іn lаtеr stages where а person mау have problems іn seeing clearly. Incontinence іѕ ѕоmеtіmеѕ seen іn early stages but іn end stage this leads tо complete loss оf bladder control.

Motor disability іѕ uѕuаllу observed іn walking. An individual mау lose а control оf their muscles and have difficulty іn walking. Sоmеtіmеѕ іt ѕо hарреnѕ that due tо the trouble walking and progressive memory loss а person mау even forget tо how tо walk bу the end stage.

Loss оf Speech іѕ observed quite often іn the late stage, where а person cannot frame а sentence and gradually stops speaking. Tо confirm dementia there іѕ а dementia test that іѕ conducted оn individuals bу doctors which mау involve а few activities and questionnaires.

Thе disease progression varies іn individuals and often depends оn the age оf the patient аѕ wеll. Thе outcome mostly depends оn the risk factors and mechanism оf the disease. Thеrе іѕ no specific form оf vascular dementia treatment and therefore disease management varies according to the person suffering frоm this disease. Life expectancy fоr this condition again varies. A study has shown that іn males the life expectancy іѕ reduced bу 50%. Thе mortality rate іѕ higher than Alzheimer’s disease and has а five year survival rate.

Thеѕе wеrе the stages оf vascular dementia аѕ seen іn individuals which mау vary frоm person tо person. Thеrе іѕ no treatment tо reverse the condition, management оf risk factors and symptomatic treatment mау increase the life expectancy.

In this essay I will look at the different types of dementia and how they can affect an individuals physical and mental health, their wellbeing and quality of life. Another thing it will cover is how the care is improved by the workers if they have a good understanding and knowledge of the effects of dementia.

The one cause of Alzheimer’s is a build-up of proteins which cause plaques and tangles that form in the brain. Dementia UK (2020) Alzheimer’s disease. Another cause is because of the build-up of proteins the nerve cells cannot pass through signals to the brain which causes interruption of the brain activity and then the nerve tissue eventually dies. Alzheimer’s is also the slowest type of dementia to form and it can be early and rapid deterioration in the brain if you are under 65. Also, if you have certain health conditions such as cardiovascular disease, downs syndrome, untreated depression, hearing loss or have had serious head injuries you may be at high risk for Alzheimer’s. Another cause is if you have a family history of Alzheimer’s. NHS (2018) Causes Alzheimer’s disease. Vascular dementia is caused by a reduction of blood to the brain if the blood vessels leak or become blocked. Another cause is an individual’s lifestyle choices such as if they smoke, drink alcohol, not physically active or have poor diet choices. Cerebral atherosclerosis is another cause, and it happens when vessels in the brain become blocked by calcium deposits, fats and cholesterol. Also, vascular dementia can be causes by some health conditions such as high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, diabetes and atrial fibrillation which is when you have an irregular heartbeat. NHS (2020) Causes Vascular dementia. One cause of Frontotemporal dementia is caused by clumps of abnormal proteins that form and build up in the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain and theses stop the brain cells working properly and damage them. Also, other causes may be if you have a family history of this type of dementia as its more common to run through families and also you can have a genetic test to see if you are at risk of this disease. .

One of the common symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease is memory loss such as losing or misplacing items they need for their day to day activities. Also, they can be repetitive and become confused when they are having a conversation with others like as asking the same questions or asking others who they are as they may forget who they are talking to and what they’re talking about. Another symptom is mood swings as some individuals may become violent or have burst of anger which they could be a danger to others or themselves. They can also become sad or may even lead to depression which is another symptom that others may recognise for someone who has Alzheimer’s. individuals with Alzheimer’s can also have a loss of interest in activities they do at home or in the community. This may lead to social isolation or depression. In the middle stage of Alzheimer’s individuals may have symptoms such as increased confusion and disorientation, obsessive and impulsive behaviour they would not normally act like, paranoid, sleep disturbances, hallucinations and difficulty performing tasks as their brain cells are deteriorating which make they forget simple tasks such as eating or drinking. The later stages of Alzheimer’s are difficulty eating and swallowing, mobility problems, weight loss as they may not be eating as much as they may not be able to feed or drink themselves and this would be a loss of independence, verbal problems and worsened short term and long term memory loss. NHS (2018) Symptoms Alzheimer’s disease. One of the symptoms for Vascular dementia is memory loss. This is the most common symptoms for some types of dementia. Another symptom is mood swings this might be anger or frustration in your individual’s may become depressed or overly happy. Also, individuals may have mobility problems such as they cannot move without equipment or others to help them and they may have slower movements when walking. Other symptoms of vascular dementia are verbal problems and Visio spatial problems. This means individuals will have difficulty talk and their sight as they may misjudge objects in their surroundings. In the later stage of vascular dementia individuals may become disorientated and have severe personality changes such as becoming aggressive they also may have difficulty controlling their bladder and they might have difficulty performing daily activities. There are many different types of symptoms for Frontotemporal dementia such as behaviour and personality changes. This means that an individual can become distant or rude, lose interest in activities or hobbies and they may become socially isolated or withdrawn. This means that they could become lonely have develop depression. Another symptom is language problems this means that people may use words incorrectly or have a loss of vocabulary, start to repeat sentences or they may get words in the wrong order. Also, this can worsen as some people may have difficulty making the right sounds for each word and they can gradually become mute as their dementia worsens. Another symptom is mental ability problems such as poor planning and judgement, becoming easily distracted and losing the ability to understand. They also can have memory difficulties such as recognising people, places or objects. Individuals may have physical symptoms such as slower movements or loss of bladder and bowel control. NHS (2020) Symptoms frontotemporal dementia.

Alzheimer’s disease is identified by its symptoms as they are related to how doctors or specialists diagnose the disease to individuals. Although as Alzheimer’s has lots of different symptoms which other type of dementia have so doctors must rule out symptoms that do not identify as Alzheimer’s disease. They do this by doing tests such as mental ability tests by using the patient’s memory and thinking skills to assess them. The individual will have different activities which include using their short term and long term memory as this can assess what they can remember in a short periods of time such as conversations and their what they can remember from their childhood or years ago, concentration and attention span this will help the professionals see if they can do the activity without getting distracted. They will also test their language and communication skills as some individuals may have difficulty pronouncing words or phrases when having and conversation. Also, they will test the individual’s visuospatial ability’s as they may not be aware of objects around them as they may have difficulty seeing them which means they cannot judge how far away or close they are to things. Others tests they use to rule out symptoms of Alzheimer’s is a CT scan, MRI scan. NHS (2018) Diagnosis Alzheimer’s disease [Accessed 12/10/20]. Also, they will ask you questions about your symptoms and on your general health and history of medical symptoms or conditions. They will also do a physical check-up as Alzheimer’s can cause weight gain or loss as they may have difficulty eating or they are eating too much.

Vascular dementia is diagnosed by having different brain scans such a CT scan and an MRI scan this is helpful for the doctors as they can rule out any other conditions that might not be Vascular dementia. They also might refer the individual to a memory clinic which they will ask about your symptoms and give you a physical check-up. Some of the symptoms that they will look for is slower movements and thoughts when asking question and trouble understanding what they are talking about and if they have any problems with their memory or language skills. Also, when the specialist does their physical check-up, they will look for visuospatial problems which means that patient may have trouble being aware of the objects around them when moving around. Also, the doctors will have to ask about medical history such as strokes or high blood pressure because these are some causes of vascular dementia. Alzheimer’s Research UK (2020) Diagnosis. Frontotemporal dementia can be diagnosed in series of different ways such as an assessment of symptoms, assessment of mental abilities, blood tests, brain scans such as MRI, CT or a PET scan which helps rule out other problems with the brain, and a lumbar puncture this is to test the spinal fluid that surrounds the brain and spine. They do this to assess and rule out if the patient has Alzheimer’s disease. Doctors will assess the patient’s symptoms as there is many for FTD one is behaviour and personality changes. This means individuals may become impulsive or rude and not be aware they are changing their behaviour. Also, they will assess the individual’s mental abilities as they may become easily distracted or losing the ability to understand things. Also, another symptom they may pick up on is memory difficulties when doing the tests.

Alzheimer’s has effects on reasoning and communication as individuals may have difficulty finding the right words or phrases and making the right sounds for different words. They also might have sight or hearing impairments which can make it more difficult for them to communicate. As individuals have Alzheimer’s they may have mood swings which can change the way they talk to others as they may come across cold or distant as they can behave in these ways without being aware of it. It can also have effects on information processing. This means that an individual may have difficulties with different mental abilities such as concentrating this means they may find it hard carrying out simple daily activities, planning and organising this effects them as they may have a hard time keeping track of events or appointment they need to attended to. Also, they may have trouble recognising places when they go out which means they could become disorientated and not understand what they are doing. The next thing Alzheimer’s can effect is sleeplessness and restlessness this can make an individual become impulsive or distracted. This can also affect an individual physically as they can become in pain or discomfort, needing the toilet more often and problems with their environment. This can affect them mentally as they can become anxious and have no stimulation to move all day as they may have had a job where they moved around a lot. Another thing that Alzheimer’s can an effect on is a person’s behaviour. Another behaviour that it can cause is aggression and anger as they can be having physical discomfort, lack of sleep, being hungry or thirsty or their medications can have side affects that can cause this behaviour. Also anger or aggression may be caused as the individual may become overwhelmed as they could be sensitive to loud noises or large crowds. One of the behaviours is anxiety and agitation. They may be agitated as they may be moving to another care facility which might mean they may be anxious about a new environment and people they do not know and as well becoming tired or restless may make the individuals confused and agitated. Alzheimer’s can also influence anxiety and agitation as a person’s might not understand about what they are doing or where they are and meant to be doing. Another behaviour this can cause is sundowning. Sundowning is when a person becomes agitated and confused either in the later afternoon or evening. This is caused by a range of things such too much or a lack of sleep, mediations they are taking or having a disturbance to the personas body clock and this may make them act out aggressively. Alzheimer’s can affect’s a person’s movement.

This will have a physical impact on a person’s mobility as their brain starts to deteriorate more in the later stages of the condition. This means that the person will beginning to have difficulty walking or moving around their home or in the community then they will start to lose the ability to walk, stand or get themselves up from a chair or their bed. This could mean that they might feel they are losing their independent and it can have an affect on their emotional wellbeing. Also, it means they are at a higher risk for falling over and injuring themselves. These problems may be caused by things such as medication, loss of sight, problems balancing and the environment. Although not all people diagnosed with Alzheimer’s will have difficulty with their mobility they may stand or sit in one spot for a long period of time. Finally, Alzheimer’s may influence an individual’s physical and mental health such as causing anxiety, fear and depression. This may affect a person as it may cause anxiety which means they will feel tired, irritable or struggling to concentrate, restless and pace or fidget. Alzheimer’s will also change a person with anxiety’s behaviour as they can become agitated for long periods of time and an individual may be constantly asking for reassurance about something or they will be asked to be left alone. Also, this condition can have an effect on someone’s fear as they may be scared to open up or express themselves properly or communicate with others this might make them lose confidence and lower their self esteem and become anxious, depressed or feel withdrawn. Also, this condition can have an affect on someone’s depression as it can make people have sleep disturbances which means they may become restless or exhausted and have difficulty concentrating and could make them agitated and anxious. They may also be feeling worthless or have low self-confidence as they could be losing their independent and fell like they cannot do anything by themselves anymore. Also, it affects a person’s behaviour with depression as they might become aggressive and refuse to eat or drink because they are so irritated. An individual may be affected physically as they may not be eating which causes weight loss or they become a danger to themselves or others as they depression could worsen because of their Alzheimer’s and they may self-harm or become suicidal.

Vascular dementia has effects on reasoning and communication as individuals will start to have problems sorting out bills and finances and they will become forgetful and develop memory loss. An individual will also have trouble performing their daily activities which could affect their communication to others as they could become confused and disorientated when out in public as this condition can give them verbal problems. This condition also effects a person’s information processing as they can become unaware of their surroundings it can make them become panicked or frustrated and upset. They can also have problems following instructions and simple tasks others give them as an individual can have poor concentration as they process information given slower than people without dementia. Also, people can have difficulty understanding information as their brain is deteriorating. This can make an individual feel frustrated and agitated. The next thing Vascular dementia affects is sleeplessness and restlessness this can make a person have sleep disturbances. This can affect a person negatively as if they become sleep deprived it can affect their body weight and their immune system can become weakened which means they are at high risk for illness. They can also become high risk for respiratory diseases and high blood pressure and because of this they can become stressed and irritable. Restlessness can make an individual feel exhausted and have trouble concentrating and they can be feeling tense and agitated.

Vascular dementia can influence a person’s behaviour as they can seem or act out of character sometimes. They can become anxious about their daily life as they can become repetitive with questions or information. Also, individuals can become depressed which can cause a loss of interest and a lack of motivation to carry out daily activities as they may be restless or overwhelmed and lack initiative to perform tasks and they can develop mood swings. Vascular dementia can affect a person’s movement as they may have suffered from a stroke. This means that they may have slower movements and having difficulty judging then depth and breadth of objects as they can become unaware of the surroundings in their environment. This can have an effect on an individual’s emotional wellbeing as they may feel they are losing their independence as their mobility is deteriorating. Finally, vascular dementia can affect and cause an individual to develop anxiety, fear and depression. This can affect a person’s anxiety as their dementia services it can be worsened because individuals can become confused and have a lack of motivation and also they can refuse to eat and drink which can impact their body weight and health. Individuals can also begin to self-neglect themselves if they are not in a cared for or they are not in a care facility. Also, vascular dementia can have effects on depression because individuals may be fully aware they have dementia which can lead to depression and anxiety as they may fear about what others think about them will this condition or they may be fearful of the future.

Frontotemporal dementia has an effect on a person’s reasoning and communication as they may develop language problems. This suggests that individuals will have trouble making the sounds for the right words, getting words in the wrong order, using words or phrases incorrectly and they may speak slowly. Individuals can begin to become frustrated, confused or anxious as the condition can have affects of their behaviour and mental health as well. Information processing is also affected with this type of dementia. This means patients will have problems with their mental abilities such as getting distracted easily which means they have poor concentration, struggling with planning and organisation such as keeping track of appointments or events. Also, memory problems will start to happen as the condition progresses and becomes more severe. Next, frontotemporal dementia can have an effect on sleeplessness and restlessness as this type of dementia can change and alter the patients sleep patterns. Individuals that experience this may be living in a care or nursing home which could mean they are anxious, and this could also affect their sleep. As well as this people who have frontotemporal dementia will develop an advanced sleep phase which means they might fall asleep and waking up later or earlier.

Dementia effects approximately 50 million people world-wide with almost 10 million new cases every year. It is a syndrome which is the deterioration of cognitive functions that is not considered normal deterioration that comes with age. It effects calculation, learning, language, memory, thinking, judgement, and comprehension among other things (World Health Organisation. 2019). The difference between dementia and normal aging is that it is significant enough to interfere with independent daily functioning (Seth A. Gale, MD, Diler Acar, MD, Kirk R. Daffner, MD. 2018). There are many studies conducted to reduce the number of people effected and delay the deterioration of cognitive functions using music. Research has been achieved to see if emotional connections to music can trigger memories and reactivate parts of the brain to improve memory recall in dementia patients. This research is considered important as this could be a temporary cure for this syndrome and reduce the number of people affected.

There are many theories surrounding the use of music to delay the effects of dementia, some of these include the ability to remember old songs as patients tend to sing and dance to them for longer than other songs and they seem to remember and respond to information better. Retaining music is considered a complex skill as it requires being connected to the individuals’ culture and it is easily accessible making it an easy therapy to be part of. Another theory is disassociation between different types of memory for music, however this is mainly for musicians. The final theory mentioned in the research is the processes related to music and how it is believed to be the last to deteriorate and how music has been suggested to enhance autobiographical memory recall for people with dementia, as music triggers motor activity and memory recall (Spiro, N. 2010). The most common research question use for this topic is can music delay or decrease the effects of dementia. All of the research conducted have similar hypotheses that singing familiar songs can trigger memories, creating the feeling of connectedness to past events and emotions, resulting in improved memory recall (Osman S,E, Tischler, V, Schneider, J. 2014). This hypothesis can be and has been tested with dementia patients, where the patients were interviewed before and after the experiment to prove the hypothesis true. For the topic of music and dementia there are many research areas that are being studied in relation to the use of music in memory recall, some of these include the use of listening to music to see if they trigger anything, in this case patients are listening to music from their past to see if this helps increase memory recall. Another set of research conducted was having groups of dementia patients sing and actively engage with the music to see if it can trigger memories or increase total memory recall.

There have not been many experiments conducted to prove or disprove that the use of music in whatever form can delay the effects of dementia or improve memory recall. Research conducted by Osman discovered that there are three main symptoms of dementia which have been proven to be positively influenced by music is, language recollection, memory and mood which includes aggression, depression, and agitation. They also revealed that music does have a positive effect on cognitive functions like communication and memory in this syndrome. It has also been discovered that neurobiological effects of music suggest that audio stimulus conjures past emotions resulting in temporarily enhanced cognitive functions (Pauwels, E,K,J, Volterrani, D, Mariani, G, Kostkiewics, M. 2014). Another research experiment using 104 participants, who were randomly sorted into a control and experimental group, only 100 completing the experiment. While the control group continued with normal care, the experimental group completed 12 sessions of group music therapy. After 6 sessions there was as slight improvement in cognitive function, and after the final session there was an increase in short term memory recall this lasted for about 1 month after, concluding that the use of group music therapy delays the deterioration of cognitive functions (Chu, H, Yang, C,Y, Lin, Y, Ou, K,L, Lee,T,Y, O’Brian, A,P, Chou, K, R. 2013).

Another experiment conducted to determine how efficient music intervention is when used in everyday care, was conducted using 90 participants, this experiment improved episodic memory, cognition among other things. Episodic memory is memories of past events that have an emotional connection, which music seems to trigger in that specific part of the brain. Research suggested that people suffering from dementia tended to keep the ability to perceive and recognise music that is familiar to them even in the advanced stages of this syndrome (Mahendran, R, Rawtaer, I, Fam, J, Wong, J, Kumar, A,P, Gandhi, M, Jing, X,K, Feng, L, Kua, E, H. 2017). Additional studies that have been conducted that support these previously mentioned experiments proved that music is important for dementia patients achieving goals in the psychological, social and cognitive fields (Raglio, A., Filippi, S., Bellandi, D., & Stramba-Badiale, M. 2014). Research now focuses on the delay or prevention of mental decline as it has recently been decided that it would be more beneficial to the population as it is rapidly aging, with a majority of seniors suffering from this cognitive decline. The main outcome of music therapy that resulted in this discovery was the rational changes and possible reversal of cognitive impairment or prevent further deterioration.

Although research is limited, current evidence proves the previous research, that these therapies strengthen attention and improve cognition in dementia patients (Mahendran, R, Rawtaer, I, et al. 2017). The final piece of research that supports all the aforementioned studies is that activities with music help maintain social, physical and cognitive abilities however, they have not explored in depth the long term effects of this therapy on dementia patients, but compared with usual care of patients in this situation, music therapy improves mental processes, mood, episodic memory and short term memory. For patients with mild and moderate dementia, the use of regular musical leisure can have long term cognitive benefits (Särkämö, T, Tervaniemi, M, Laitinen, S, LicPhil, Numminen, A, Kurki, M, Johnson, J,K, Rantanen, P. 2013).

All of the research conducted supports the theories surrounding music and dementia as all of the experiments so far prove these theories and support the hypotheses. These state that the use of music as a therapy delays the deterioration of cognitive functions, so far all of the experiments prove the short-term benefits of dementia. The type of research that has been conducted so far has been interviews as it is easier to get reliable data that isn’t influenced by a self-moderated survey. All of the research has had qualitative data as the experimenters were measuring memory recall with an interview styled test. There were many controls that were implemented for each experiment, for Spiro’s the controls were based upon the type of participants involved in the experiment, there was an age bracket of above 65 years old, have dementia, and no significant hearing impairment. Participants were excluded if they were participating in other experiments, had language issues, and were unable to participate for whole 30 minutes of the therapy. These controls were in place to ensure that the tests were beneficial to the whole research task to get the best results possible so that it could benefit the whole community. For Mahendran’s experiment the criteria were similar, meaning there was an age group required, have the syndrome, are able to participate in the experiment for 6 weeks, and have the ability to function independently.

The design for these experiments could have been improved in both main experiments by including participants with varying stages of dementia to help understand the full potential of the music therapy on dementia patients. These experiments are reliable as this experiment is able to be repeated many times to ensure the results are sufficient enough to get averages and compare the data however, these measures are not mentioned in any of the experimental reports. The population of people used in the experiment is inappropriate as approximately 50 million people are affected by dementia, yet the largest experiment included 100 people, this sample size is too small to fully understand the potential of the experiment. The sample should be big enough to make the results generalisable however, these results although helpful are only useful for preliminary research and not a whole experiment.

The background research supports the results from the experiments conducted, the results concluded that music therapy used on dementia patients not only helped them socially but mentally as well, as on average the participants short term memory recall had improved as well as recognition. The data collected helps give insight to the cognitive processes impacted due to dementia and how music effects those parts of the brain while supporting the hypotheses and previous research. All of the research and data collected can be supported by other researchers, another experiment concluded that the use of music therapy and other forms of music help dementia patients with memory recall and language functioning (Brotons, M, Koger, S,M. 2000). Some of the controlled variables include the type of participants included and the types of music used, which was not specified. Other controls that should have been considered was having a range of patients with different severities of dementia so there is a wider range of results throughout the whole experiment, this should have been implemented in every set of research.

Some of the implications of the results include that music is useful when improving the speech and fluency of individuals with dementia (Spiro, N. 2010). It has also been implied that musical leisure activities may have long term cognitive effects in cases of mild and moderate dementia, therefore could be used in rehabilitation and dementia care (Särkämö, T, Tervaniemi, M, Laitinen, S, LicPhil, Numminen, A, Kurki, M, Johnson, J,K, Rantanen, P. 2013). Some limitations of the study conducted by Spiro include the insignificant evidence on the musical effects presented in controlled randomised trials, and as stated previously there is limited research in this area to base the accuracy of the findings on to ensure the data collected was not a coincidence (Spiro, N. 2010). Other limitation to these studies is that all of the experiments so far are short term, most researchers usually don’t complete a follow up exam to see how long these sorts of therapies last and the sample size is generally too small (Chu, H, Yang, C,Y, Lin, Y, et al. 2013). Särkämö agrees with Chu that these experiments for the most part only focus on the short-term effects, therefore reveals nothing about the long-term benefits, there is also no variety in the severity of dementia between the patients as most participants are diagnosed with mild – moderate dementia. Mahendran stated that these activities may not always improve the effects of dementia and that the studies are more to determine if these sorts of activities and therapies are beneficial for the patients.

These studies are an adequate starting point for the research problem with trying to improve the cognitive effects and delay the deterioration of mental processes in dementia patients through the use of music therapy and seeing if emotional connections help with music and memory recall. The research has advanced appropriately for the studies to take place as originally there was no connection between music and dementia, now a connection has been discovered and some studies include the idea that emotions are involved. Although there are many advancements in this field of study there are some areas that need to be studied further, including the effect on more severe forms of dementia and the long-term effects of music therapy. If the research had been looked into further there many have been a way to make the results of music therapy last longer and reduce the total amount of people suffering altogether.

Dementia is overall term that is used to describe various wide ranges of diseases and/or conditions that are often diagnosed by the loved one or caregivers of a patient suffering from signs and symptoms of a decline in memory, language, and problem-solving skills. This condition affects the patient’s thoughts, responses, feelings and all aspects of life. Individuals diagnosed with dementia often go through a range of emotional changes including depression, loneliness, anxiety, and stigma. Dementia is important because of its impacts of hindering daily activities by its psychological effects. The disease progresses with age and can make the simplest daily tasks become difficult or impossible to achieve. Older patients with dementia may have little or no control over their thoughts and feelings while preforming their daily activities; as the diseases symptoms causes them to isolate themselves, which challenges for interaction skills with others and shrinks their social network as they struggle and interoperate that society views them as difficult or a burden. Commonly, Dementia patients may misinterpret a person’s message or judge a person’s opinion as influenced by their health condition. So, the question surfaces, how does Dementia impact daily living? Dementia impacts daily living as it impedes the brains ability to sequence, plan and organize multiple-step activities, influencing individuals psychological changes; reflecting memory loss, created illusions, and nervous behavior. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the affects dementia has on a person’s daily life. Specifically, I will be informing readers on how dementia impacts daily living from causes of forgetfulness, paranoia and anxiety.

With aging, individuals diagnosed with Dementia are more than likely characterised by a psychological effect of acute to chronic forgetfulness. Forgetfulness impacts daily living as it hinders the individual’s ability to remember how things function. Common symptoms include forgetting how to use household appliances, getting lost in familiar places, repeatedly missing routine appointments that occur at the same time and place, and even impacting observant physical changes in personal hygiene or appearance. One may forget to shower or putting clothes on correctly. The power of memory loss, whether short or long term, impacts daily living as it makes even the simplest daily routines difficult, or impossible tasks to achieve. Unfortunately, this causing Dementia patients to feel frustrated, defeated, incompetent and induces them to become solely dependent on those around them.

When an elderly is diagnosed with Dementia, society tends to believe that it only deteriorates their forgetfulness; some may even take advantage; promoting actions such as, stealing or do thing that the patient has not approved (Kales, et al., 2015). It is unfortunate that the prime suspects: family members, friends, and/or caregivers are the most commonly known to take advantage of elderly dementia patients. When an elderly patient living with dementia is taken advantage of by their family members, friends or caretakers, they may feel stigmatized and start avoiding contact or losing trust in those individuals. Some patients may become rude and defensive when interacting with others to try proving that they are mentally stable and that they can remember things when in reality they cannot. This impacts daily living as Dementia patient’s deteriorating memory increase their fear of stigma; causing them to struggle as they attempt to complete tasks alone without asking for help, just to prove to others that they have a stable mental condition and can function without assistance. These circumstances could cause both unintentional mental and physical harm to the patient and/or physical harm to other. As forgetfulness is a commonly linked sign and symptom of Dementia, patients with this condition may begin to show signs of paranoia as their aging psychological mindset struggles to separate fiction from reality and the fear of stigma from societies view of elderly stereotypes.

Dementia patients age and their condition worsens; their natural instinct and thought process changes too. The physiological changes of delusions, hallucinations, and abnormal thoughts fuel their growth of fear that people are forming conspiracies against them. The may began to accuse others of theft, infidelity, or other inappropriate behaviour. Due to these unfortunate circumstances, elderly Dementia patients’ psychological changes alters and misguides their perception of how others view them; and their actions are characterized as signs and symptoms of paranoia. Paranoia impacts daily living as it causes patients to become easily agitated. This causes patients to give up quickly as they begin to feel that their simple daily activities like grooming, feeding and/or walking independently may seem difficult to achieve. There is a great possibility that while patients with dementia experience paranoia, their delusion and hallucinations may appear to become their new reality, and their actions and productivity reflects from them. This could put dementia patients and others in harm’s way; as everyone’s natural instinct is to protect themselves from things they fear. Recent studies have shown that most common paranoia symptoms occur due to the types of treatment given from caregivers like friends, family, peers of individuals living with Dementia.

Similar to stereotypes based on race and gender; aging is a dimension through which people categorize and treat others either intentional or unintentionally by those commemorated thoughts and by using aging cues. Age cues are perceived depending on not only someone’s appearance but by their psychological decline or stability. Due to their growth of wit, psychological stability and progressive learning; the youth has the ability to establish different inferences regarding advanced age, targeting older people’s intentions, wishes, goals and decision-making capabilities. Because of this, older individuals are therefore stigmatized by the society due to their declining abilities to make the right decisions and perceive difficult situations. Older people living with Dementia lives become impacted by the way society around them and strongly impacted by the way friends, family, and/or peers unfairly treat them. These circumstances increase Dementia patient’s likelihood of experiencing paranoia, and puts them in greater danger of suffering psychologically from the effects of stigma. Care giving from friends, family and peers in the ways of neglect, continuously leaving them lonely, can easily be miscommunicated to a dementia patient as being a burden/bother to others. Due to their loss of control over their psychological changes; Dementia patients begin to present signs of paranoia as they begin to believe that others are either conjuring against them, talking about them and/or judging them by their decisions based on their health condition. This often causes older patients living with dementia to distant themselves from public functions and become paranoid of those around them.

Various studies have proved that older patients living with dementia undergo discrimination in the hands of physicians, caretakers and nurses. Since the nurse and caretakers understand the dynamics of old age and the effects of mental conditions on this population, they can start treating the poorly and viewing them as difficult to handle. The effects of negative treatment of old patients by nurses are prevalent in nursing homes and in the diagnosis of medical problems by doctors. Symptoms such as depression can get misdiagnosed as dementia or unnoticed by practitioners. Some nurses and other medical practitioners may also start mistreating dementia patients with pain due to their common beliefs regarding the normal course of ageing. The negative misconceptions and beliefs by medical workers can affect the level and quality of treatment and care dementia patients receive.

Negative attitudes and stereotypes about the ageing population can cause patronizing behaviour especially in terms of verbal interactions. Elder speak, or secondary baby talk is one of the most patronizing behaviours that affect elderly dementia patients and make them feel stigmatized. Secondary baby talk involves the use of simplified speech characterized by exaggerated intonations; simplified grammar limited vocabulary and the use of small sentences as a way of ensuring the listeners understands the speaker as a child. This issue is prevalent in various natural settings including residential care facilities for elderly patients living with mental conditions especially during interactions between young nurses and care givers of the elderly. The patronizing tendencies can make the illusion that elderly patients are no longer relevant or serve as a purpose of importance; which can be perceived as their capabilities, choices and opinions are not worthy of serious consideration. Recent studies have shown that some speakers use elderly speech with regard to the mental functionalities of elderly patients living with mental conditions. This can cause patients to feel stigmatized and looked down upon; especially by the younger generation of nurses and/or techs within a medical facility. The stigma Dementia patient experience in assisted living facilities impacts daily living as patients’ psychological changes requires them to become dependent on others to make decision on their behalf; stripping dementia patients of their competence. With fear from stigma in medical facilities; it is common that Dementia patient’s experience high levels of anxiety.

According to McKenzie (2017), anxiety is also a common symptom in older patients living with different aetiologies of dementia including vascular dementia and Lewy body disease. Anxiety is characterized by psychological changes associated with anxious and nervousness; and is commonly expressed by individuals living with Dementia. Anxiety impacts daily living as it put dementia patients at high risk of restlessness, irritability, excessive worrying and tension, PTSD, and causes them to experiences common side effects such as unrealistic view of problems. Anxiety can cause individuals to isolate themselves from others and/or makes it difficult for Dementia patients to complete daily activities due to constant jitters and inability to concentrate/focus.

Studies indicate that various aspects of functions that are related to attention can be affected and modified by anxiety. In older patients living with dementia, the attention narrowing, attention control and selective attention can be affected by anxiety. Due to lack of control over emotions and frequent fears that something might happen, elderly patients living with dementia may become restless and find the need to start moving from one place to another or get upset when focusing on a particular situation. This creates hazards for dementia patients as they are more likely to roam off and get lost in familiar places.

Overall, Dementia impacts daily living as it alters a person’s Psychological health. This impact effect ones short and/or long-term memory; causing paranoia multiple reasons, such as deteriorating mental health and stigma, and increases their anxiety. This disease decreases individual’s independence to function and doing things on their own as their psychological changes prohibits them to do so. Declines in short or long memory, such as forgetfulness, hinders the individual’s ability to remember the basics of common routines; making it difficult for them to function independently. Experiencing forgetfulness makes individuals unaware of their familiar surroundings and increases their chances of experiencing paranoia. Paranoia causes physiological changes of delusions, hallucinations, and abnormal thoughts fuel their growth of fear that people are forming conspiracies against them. It impacts their daily living as they are more likely to become irritable and loses trust in other. This can result in dementia patients increase of urge to do everything on their own while lacking competence in proper decision making; pulling their lives, as well as others in danger. Paranoia also increase the likelihood of patients experiencing chronic anxiety. Anxiety impacts live as it puts dementia patients at high risk of restlessness, irritability, excessive worrying and tension, high blood pressure and can cause other serious health conditions that have been proven to be fatal to the elderly generation.

Society should grid of stereotypes and all negative thought or accusations that are associated as ageist aging cues, become more educated on the multiple types of Dementia, and think twice about the way to think or act towards a patient who experience unexpected or controllable psychological changes. It is important as a collective society to treat others as you’d want to be treated; because we all will age and no one knows what their future mental health state will be. People should become more involved and take better care of the elder generation, as they have help to create a path for you. Continue to challenge their psychological stability so that dementia does not take complete control of their daily living. Recent studies have shown that to reduce chances or to prolong dementia, one can ; Create meal prep plans in order to maintain healthy lifestyle; Read, write, and work on cross word puzzles; Learn something new, such as taking adult education courses or learning a different language; Continue daily routines; Create mnemonics/reminders, and motive them to maintain a social life in a friendly environment. Do not be afraid to get involved. Be the change the world needs. Help stop dementia from impacting daily living!

Dementia is a condition in which there is a continuous decline in cognitive function and is most prevalent with the ageing population. Within England, dementia is most common amongst people living in East Sussex with prevalence of 13000. Suggested by the local review there is a lack of support and care available to patients with dementia; this is having a negative impact on the patients as well as resulting expensively on the NHS. In response to the National Dementia Strategy and the Prime Minister’s Challenge on Dementia 2020, Buxted Medical Centre, developed the Dementia Golden Ticket project to improve the quality of life of patients with dementia and their carers.

An initiation stage involved the set-up of actions and tasks for the multidisciplinary team to carry out; from patient diagnosis to advanced care plans. A 3 month pilot study led by Buxed Medical Centre was carried out from October 2015 to December 2015 in the area of High Weald Lewes Havens Clinical Commissioning Group in East Sussex.

The aim of this study was to develop a new management approach for patients with dementia in primary care using interventions. These include working with the secondary providers to enhance service use, providing dementia awareness in practices and in community, and allowing timely access to health and social care routes. In addition, to be able to evaluate the impact on peoples’ independence and quality of life through quality measurements and evaluations.

The Golden Ticket method involves a series of tasks that include supporting the basic needs of the patient with dementia and their carer. These include maintaining their identity and to prevent them from feeling lonely within their family and their community.

A list of 40 diagnosed and newly diagnosed patients were selected who were registered at Buxted Medical Centre and were piloted for the ‘Test Phase’ which was run for a 3 months evaluation phase These patients were living in their own house who had a family carer.

There were 20% fall in GP consultations. 47% of patients who were receiving secondary care were referred to primary care forming the culture shift. 25% fall in A&E admissions. 13 patients were able to save costs in prescribed medication through use of interventions.

The dementia golden ticket model demonstrated that the holistic approach was successful and that the patients’ concerns were addressed in the consultation time was manged well in various parts of the system.

“Health care professionals have an ethical obligation to protect life and to relieve suffering”. Like other health professionals, registered dietitian nutritionists (RDNs) follow a code of ethics. The principles and standards of the Code of Ethics for the Nutrition and Dietetics Profession encompasses non-maleficence, autonomy, beneficence, and justice. “Dietitians are expected to exercise professional judgement and practice dietetics based on specific principles and current practice”.

Ethical issues are usually complex, especially when it encompasses tube feeding and patients with dementia. Food and drink are basic human needs, and competent individuals have the right to refuse artificial nutrition and hydration. Nutrition and hydration have psychological and physiological functions which are essential in total care. Advanced dementia is incurable and patients are unable to eat in the last stages, resulting in the need of tube feeding. Individuals with advanced dementia lose their decision-making capacity. I believe advanced dementia patients and tube feeding can be a dilemma or ethical issue due to the patient’s inability to decide on end-of-life (EOL) care. Is it ethically acceptable for caregivers to deny food and drink from a patient that is unable to make their own decision? Will tube feeding be beneficial for the patient or should it be avoided?

Quality of life is a major ethical principle for end-stage dementia patients and tube feeding. There is controversy over tube feeding improving nutritional status or prolonging survival. Families or caregivers may think they are doing a favor by prolonging their family member’s life, or they might be selfish in their thinking and simply do not want to let their family member to die.

Another ethical principle is invasiveness. Some individuals may view placing a percutaneous endoscopy gastrostomy (PEG) or requiring tube feeding as an “invasive procedure as an expression of hope versus giving up on life”. A PEG is necessary for survival in end-stage dementia patients.

Finally, comfort could be a principle in EOL care. According to de Beaufort and Vathorst (2016), it is morally acceptable for patients who suffer from dementia to live a good and comfortable life. Family members and caregivers may consider comfort more important over life.

I believe the patient, in their cognitive state, has the greatest interest in the outcome. I also believe caregivers or family members have interest in the outcome of the advanced dementia patient. Family members or caregivers may be motivated to provide care for various reasons: love, spiritual fulfillment, obligation, pressure of society, and even greed.

Individuals value life, and religion often contributes to EOL decisions. According to Gil et al. (2018), religion is present in EOL discussion regardless of the individual’s religious practice level. Gil et al. (2018) also reported the decision-making process regarding advanced dementia patients and tube feeding are shaped by several matters including religion and socio-economic status. According to Jennings et al. (2017), health care providers can negatively contribute or cause frustrations with dementia patient’s care by not knowing the individual’s culture.

According to Meier and Ong (2015), there is a dilemma on which self should be honored. Is it the “then” self or the “now” self? Some individuals might argue which self of their family member should be honored, if there was never a discussion on medical intervention on EOL care.

Euthanasia is another opposing opinion of individuals. Choosing death over live is controversial.

We all, however, have to consider the question: do people who do not want to experience the further decline have to hope for a life threatening infection or will other options be made available, and how can we then best protect people in such a way that the choice to die is theirs and theirs only?.

Health policies and politics play an important role for dementia patients. “The nature and scope of nutrition and its health-related industries dictate the need for various regulations and accordingly the interaction with governing bodies” (Rucker & Rucker, 2016, p. 1184). According to Dementia.org (2014), the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) benefits dementia patients; however, Powell (2018) reported the United States national policy for addressing dementia needs updating because there is no sustainable plan to deliver and pay for Medicaid and Medicare.

Dementia is recognized as a public health priority by the World Health Organization. The World Health Assembly acknowledged the Global action plan on public health response to dementia 2017-2025 to improve the lives of people with dementia and their families, and caregivers. The plan delivers a blueprint for action. Also, the Global Dementia Observatory is an international surveillance platform to assist in monitoring and distributing information on dementia policies, delivery of services, epidemiology, and research.

I see the issue becoming more common. Meier and Ong (2015) reported the numbers of patients with dementia are increasing. The World Health Organization (2019) reports approximately 50 million people worldwide have dementia, the seventh leading cause of death. People are living longer and the population as a whole is increasing. Also, health care is more effective than ever in prolonging individuals lives.

According to Maillet et al. (2013), the first step to implement is to practice “…sound technical judgement on feeding strategy…” to reach desired goals (p. 831). The second step is to know what the individual actually wants. Both of the steps can be accomplished by effective communication. Givens, Lopez, Mazor, and Mitchell (2012) recommended communicating with family and caregivers and providing education on the process of dementia and treatment options. Another way to accomplish the desired goal is to understand patient’s culture and religion, which promote effective communication.

Ethical issues are challenging, and many important factors are considered by family members, caregivers, and health care professionals. Effective communication is key for all parties involved. “RDs should provide education about nutrition and hydration issues to individuals, families, and health care providers; serve as an advocate for client and family; and participate in the legal and ethical discussions and decisions regarding feeding”. Knowing and understanding all of the patient’s EOL wishes is crucial in ethical decision-making.

The article “Co-designing with people living with dementia” Paul A. Rodgers [2018] wants to draw attention to the misunderstanding of the people living with dementia by presenting a project from Alzheimer Scotland to design a tartan. It puts the focus on people living with dementia regaining “their self-esteem, identity and dignity” [Rodgers, 2018, p189] in the community, to change the society’s view and that the designers in the industry benefit from this co-design method to improve their concepts and products. Rodgers is right about this project and that it is a great opportunity for involved people, but he generalizes too much on dementia illness and makes a strong claim that the project will permanently change the future of dementia participants.

One of the first key issue is that the project should permanently strengthen the self-confidence of the participants and positively change the opinion of society. It is true that the project is a great thing and has given a positive feeling to the people, but in order to change something permanently, a certain routine has to be introduced. It is not clear if the participants have seen each other again as a community or if the work with the people came to an end after a few hours workshop. Unfortunately, it looks like there was no further cooperation after these [Alzheimer Scotland Tartan, Online Blog] and this is really sad because so it looks more as if the mass produced tartan is in focus instead of the humans. The other main goal of the project is to show that ‘people with dementia can offer much to UK society after diagnosis’ [Rodgers, 2018, p193] and this is true, because society can then take a physical object into its own hands, and when it is bought, it will continue to support people living with dementia and the research. In general, people with dementia do not have to give anything back to the society, but they may feel better knowing that there is a product they have been involved in, which anyone in the UK can buy.

Another, something critical point, however, is that the whole project was at the end more a competition for the participants, because only one tartan was finally taken. It is not clear what definition of “people recently diagnosed with dementia” [Rodgers, 2018, p189] is meant here, but it could be very painful for a dementia patient to hear that the jury have chosen another design and they themselves were not successful. It depends on the progress of the disease on whether a person with dementia can still understand why something happens or does not happen. In fact, dementia or alzheimer research is still in its infancy and there is no cure yet — neither in medicine nor in behavioral therapy. Nevertheless, there are a number of investigators who suggest that stressful situations can influence the symptoms of dementia [Alzheimer’s Society Research]. It is great to have projects like this and it should be an example for all organisations, however, it is important to take care of every individual person with dementia because the disease is different for each person. Rodgers follows the approach that all people with dementia feel safe and accepted during the workshops [Rodgers, 2018, p200], which is pretty good. Though, the project is generally not hundred percent dedicated to this – they should find another product that can be produced faster and more individually so that all 130 people living with dementia which were part of the project can see their finished and produced product on the shelves without being in a competition. A good example for that could be a napkin produced in a digital printing.

The concept that the end user works closely with the designers is well known under the co-design method. It should be used and applied much more frequently all over the world. This project was more focused to design the product instead of a discussing between designer and end user because of the need in the life of a person living with dementia. It is good that the participants just designed the tartan, because the people who have just received the diagnosis are busy enough in their everyday life with their disease. So they can just be creative and maybe forget their worries for a moment and just enjoy the time.

In general, the project of Paul A. Rodgers in cooperation with Alzheimer Scotland is a good thing and everyone should deal intensively with dementia in order to understand it. It is a pity that the project was only given once in 2015. Projects like this one are a good start and if more scientists are involved and the conditions are improved a bit, it could become a globally successful program. Hopeful that the research, the theapie and the dealing with the dementia patients develop and improve very fast.

Dementia is a disease that causes the loss of cognitive functioning and behavioral abilities to a degree that it affects a person’s day-to-day life. This syndrome affects a person’s memory, language skills, problem-solving, self-management, and the ability to focus. Dementia mainly has an effect on older people, and the risk of dementia continues to increase as age increases. Some individuals that have dementia cannot control their emotions, and their personalities may change from time to time. Dementia ranges in severity from the mild stage, which is when it is just starting to affect a person’s functioning, to the severe stage, when the person is dependent on others for basic functions of life. The impact of the disease is substantial. The impact on the individual, they lose their grip on their life. For their family members who care for a person with dementia and have to see them deal with the disease. And for society, that has this increasing group of people that need certain care and support. Individuals in general should have dementia on their radar because it affects older people and age is inevitable. This paper will focus on Dementia as a disease and the importance of early diagnosis and early intervention. Dementia refers to a group of diseases that have their onset in old age and in which there is a progressive loss of cognitive functioning that eventually affects all aspects of self-care(Gatz). Alzheimer’s disease extinguishes the mind and body through a vicious progression from mental lapses, memory loss, and dementia to the final failure of the brain to support survival (Harder). Because effective treatments are sparse, preventive strategies are needed to delay the onset of dementia or reduce its incidence (Kurth & Logroscino). Dementia is a life-changing disease. It can affect an individual’s life, from being completely independent to dependent. Early diagnosis and timely intervention can lead to treatment and possibly prevention of Dementia. Therefore, society as a whole should place an emphasis on early diagnosis and timely intervention of Dementia.

Dementia and the importance of early intervention and timely diagnosis should be of importance to all people. The disease affects the older population. Individuals from the ages 40-60 should be aware of the disease because they are in the prime age of getting Dementia. Individuals from the ages 20-40 should educate themselves about Dementia because it could be possible that their parents could be showing signs of the disease. A question to think about is, even with early intervention and timely diagnosis can that prevent the onslaught of Dementia?

Before any thoughts of intervention and diagnosis, individuals should know more about the disease. Burns & Iliffe touch on in this article about what AD is, the unknown cause of it and what type of treatments can be done. AD is a chronic progressive disorder that is characterized by three groups of symptoms. The first group, which is a cognitive dysfunction, includes memory loss, language difficulties, and executive dysfunction. The second group consists of psychiatric symptoms and behavioral disturbances, like depression, hallucinations, delusions, and agitation. The third group is difficulties with performing activities of daily living. The symptoms of Alzheimer’s progresses from mild symptoms of memory loss to very severe dementia.

The cause of AD is not known, but there are several risk factors that come with the disease, including age, family history, apolipoprotein E4 status, head injury, depression, hypertension, diabetes, high cholesterol, atrial fibrillation, presence of cerebral emboli, and low physical and cognitive activity. Some of the risk factors can be modifiable. Neurotic plaques and neurofibrillary tangles are the main histological features of Alzheimer’s disease. And the presence of phosphorylated tau and the deposition of the insoluble protein amyloid have both been correlated with the features of dementia.

Psychosocial interventions are appropriate for dementia regardless of its cause. Non-drug interventions should be tried first, especially when symptoms are not causing distress or putting a person at risk. Therapeutic interventions for an individual that establish a good relationship with the person with dementia are key. Continuous clinical care may also be beneficial. General practitioners will have an understanding of their patients, and the work between specialists and general practitioners is essential.

The strength of this article is that it goes into depth about the different risk factors. The authors also touch on the possible treatment options for individuals with dementia. Also, Burn & Iliffe give a clear look at what AD is. A limitation of this article can be that there aren’t any concrete statistics and experimental findings to go along with how informative the article is.

Early intervention and timely diagnosis can play a part in combating this disease. Robinson, Tang, & Taylor went into depth in this article about how important timely diagnosis and early intervention are when dealing with individuals who have Dementia. Also, the several factors of diagnosing Dementia and the possible options after the diagnosis. At the beginning of this article, it focuses on why timely diagnosis is important. In other countries, there’s an introduction of a Dementia strategy which has led to more of an emphasis on earlier diagnosis, even though population-based screening is not recommended because dementia does not fulfill the criteria of a condition that is suitable for screening. With evidence from a number of large longitudinal cohort studies (Buschke, Kuslansky, & Katz), it’s showing that the prevalence of Dementia is increasing globally, so now there is a greater emphasis on prevention and risk reduction.

Dementia can be difficult when trying to diagnose due to the symptoms being similar to normal aging. The symptoms include memory loss, and a number of other symptoms, for instance, having difficulty in finding words or making decisions. What also should be considered is a person’s ability to possibly deny their symptoms in the early stages of the disease. The family could also notice difficulties in communication and personality or even mood changes in their loved ones. If there is an increase in an individual’s visits to their general practice, missed appointments, or confusion over drugs, those can also be warning signs.

An option after diagnosis could be clinically and cost-effective drugs. There is an emphasis on improving the function after neuronal damage instead of altering the underlying pathogenesis that leads to dementia. There are two classes of drugs that are currently recommended for symptomatic, which is Alzheimer’s disease and mixed, dementia. The drugs are acetylcholinesterase inhibitors donepezil, galantamine, and rivastigmine, and N-methyl-D-aspartic acid receptor antagonists like memantine. Acetylcholinesterase inhibitors are the only options that are recommended to manage mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease and there is no evidence to say that one is more effective than another. There is a large randomized controlled trial that recently has shown that treatment with donepezil is associated with cognitive benefits in moderate to severe dementia (Prince, Bryce, & Ferri). Memantine has also been approved for individuals with moderate to severe Alzheimer’s or those individuals that have an intolerance to acetylcholinesterase inhibitors. It also has been used in mild Alzheimer’s disease however, there is little evidence for this.

Another option after diagnosis is non-drug approaches. There is growing evidence for non-drug interventions in the care of dementia, even though further research in many areas is still needed. In a large systematic review that evaluated both drug and non-drug interventions in dementia care, cognitive stimulation therapy was as clinically and cost-effective as the acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (Knapp, Iemmi, & Romeo). Reminiscence therapy is another option that is recommended in national guidelines. However, the evidence for innovative service provision like case management, where a case manager, most of the time a nurse or social worker, will act as the main care coordinator between key stakeholders, including primary and secondary care.

The strength of this article is how informative it is. The article can definitely bring to a reader’s attention how beneficial early intervention and timely diagnosis can be pertaining to someone with dementia. It gives very clear options about what an individual can do after being diagnosed with Dementia. A limitation of this article can be seen as not actually having a study or an experiment to go along with the information. However, the article is still helpful because it supports the assertion that early intervention and timely diagnosis can be beneficial when dealing with dementia.

Palmer, Backman, Winblad & Fratiglion conducted a three-year population-based cohort study in Sweden. The purpose of the study was to evaluate a three-step procedure that identifies individuals, that are in the general population, and who are in the preclinical phase of AD and Dementia. Palmer et al. (2003) used data from baseline, three, and six-year follow-up examinations in the Kungsholmen project, which was a longitudinal study of people aged 75 and older living in Sweden. The authors didn’t include 225 participants with dementia, 31 people that had a low cognitive performance, and 9 people because of their educational background or they were older than 95. The remaining 1435 individuals were used for the study population.

Palmer et al. (2003) assessed memory complaints by asking the question, ‘Do you currently have any problems with your memory?’ Global cognitive impairment without dementia was scored as one standard deviation below the age and education specific mean on the mini-mental state examination. There were three domains of cognitive functioning that were assessed in neuropsychological testing. They were episodic memory, verbal fluency, and visuospatial skill.

The main outcome measure at follow-up was the presence of Alzheimer’s disease or dementia. They diagnosed Alzheimer’s disease and dementia by using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. All of the survivors were examined by a physician, they had neuropsychological testing, and they were assessed by nurses. The authors then looked at the death certificates and medical records of those who had died to determine the presence of dementia. They calculated the sensitivities and specificities for dementia for each measure, and they also calculated the positive predictive values and negative predictive values, and 95% confidence intervals. Different combinations of the three measures were also investigated.

The results indicated that the three instruments were sufficiently predictive of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia when they were administered separately. After the screening for memory complaints and global cognitive impairment, there were specific tests for word recall and verbal fluency and they had positive predictive values for dementia. However, only 18% of future dementia cases were identified in the preclinical phase by this three-step process. Memory complaints were the most sensitive indicator of Alzheimer’s disease and, but only half the future dementia cases were reported. The authors believe that the three-step process, has a high positive predictive value for dementia, although only a small number of future cases can be identified.

There are a number of strengths in this study. One strength is that this procedure emulates what would happen in a clinical practice and the study had a high positive predictive value for Dementia. Another strength is the number of individuals that participated in this study. A limitation of this study can be seen as, in the study only a small number of future cases could be identified.

Ritchie, Carriére, Ritchie, Berr, Artero, & Ancelin had the question of, what would be the percentage of reduction in the incidence of dementia if there were potential reversible exposures that were eliminated? Ritchie et al. (2010) conducted a study to answer this question. The study took place in the south of France and Ritchie et al. (2010) recruited 1,433 people, at random, in the community who were all over the age of 65 and the mean age was 72.5. All of the participants gave written consent. The study started with a neurologist that examined all the participants at baseline and at two, four, and seven years of follow-up. In the first part of the study, a neurologist examined the participants by using a standardized interview that brought together cognitive testing to identify dementia and mild cognitive impairment. In the second part of the study, a nurse used a standardized examination to gather information on several different topics. Those topics were sociodemographic status, crystallized intelligence, nutrition, exposure to anesthesia, herpes infections, asthma, diabetes, hypertension, stroke, heart disease, drug use, hormonal replacement therapy, depressive symptoms, and blood pressure. took biological samples to assess apolipoprotein E c4 genotype and concentrations of fasting blood glucose and cholesterol

Ritchie et al.(2010) constructed Cox models to find hazard ratios and to find confounding and interaction effects for the potentially modifiable risk factors of dementia. The authors found the mean percentage population attributable fractions. These fractions were gathered with 95% confidence intervals taken from multiple sampling for a seven-year incidence of mild cognitive impairment or dementia. In the final model, Ritchie et al. (2010) found that crystallized intelligence had a population-attributable fraction of 18.1% and the 95% confidence interval was from 10.9% to 25.4%. In depression, the fraction was 10.3% and the interval was from 3.7% to 17.2%. For fruit and vegetable consumption the fraction was 6.5% and the interval was from 0.2% to 13.1%. In diabetes, the fraction was 4.9% and the interval was from 1.9% to 8.0%. And lastly, Ritchie et al.(2010) found that apolipoprotein E F4 allele, the fraction was 7.1% and the interval was from 2.4% to 12.0%. The authors reasoned that an increase in crystallized intelligence and fruit and vegetable consumption, plus eliminating depression and diabetes, would likely have the biggest impact on reducing the incidence of dementia.

One strength of this study can be seen as that Ritchie et al.(2010) had actual neurologists contribute to the study. Another strength of the study is that the authors accounted for a large number of risk factors for Dementia. A limitation could be that the study should be experimented with in other populations.

Overall, Dementia is seen as a very serious disease that society should take seriously. As more and more research is done on Dementia, the main focus should be on the early intervention of the disease. The articles used in this paper show how life-changing Dementia is. Also, the articles show the effect that intervention and diagnosis could have on an individual with Dementia. I would like to find more articles that show that the early diagnosis actually slowed down the progression of Dementia because that is the goal. I am interested in and very invested in this topic. I will continue to read articles and try to learn as much as I can about Dementia. It is something that affects the older population and had affected older members of my family and one day I will be a part of the older population. So I want to be prepared if one day I have to deal with this disease.

References

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2. Buschke H, Kuslansky G, Katz M, et al. (1999) Screening for dementia with the memory impairment screen. Neurology;52:231-8
3. Gatz, M. (2007). Genetics, Dementia, and the Elderly. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 16(3), 123-127. Retrieved from www.jstor.org/stable/20183178
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Caregivers are extremely important figures in all societies and look after the senior citizens who are esteemed individuals of the community. The Journals of Gerontology state, “There are 16,840 nursing homes in the United States with 1.56 million residents. The majority of these residents (70.8%) have some form of memory impairment” (Tornatore 2004). For some caregivers, both in and out of nursing homes, their work can bring them a sense of satisfaction and feelings of generosity. These feelings can lead to long-lasting joy according to His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu.

Other caregivers, especially those who care for people with dementia, do not feel this happiness and joy when working. Instead, they experience decreased mental, physical, and emotional health due to their roles. This may be because “Dementia affects several areas of life including memory, learning capacity, thinking, orientation, calculation, judgment, behavior and activities of daily life” (Seidel and Thyrian 2004). Dementia caregivers need to give extensive care to their recipients because of the effects of dementia. Since caregivers give help around the clock, it may be hard for caregivers to have a stable income or find a high paying job that has accommodating hours. This lack of a high paying job, for many caregivers, could be another reason for low life evaluation according to Daniel Kahneman, a winner of the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences. These adverse effects of dementia caregiving raise the question: to what extent do the roles of dementia caregivers affect their overall welfare?

Predominantly, a dementia caregiver’s welfare is negatively affected by their roles in the form of caregiver burden. Caregiver burden is correlated to the increased mental, physical, emotional, and financial stress that caregivers face when providing help for a person with memory impairment. However, not all caregivers experience the same amount of burden or the same effects on the body. The level of burden is dependent on the circumstances in which the caregiver is in.

Caregiver burden is described as “a multidimensional response to the negative appraisal and perceived stress resulting from taking care of an ill individual”. As stated previously, all caregivers experience varying effects on their overall welfare. In fact, several factors of a caregiving situation can be predictors of a higher caregiving burden. Studies have proven that sociodemographics, premorbid relationship, and stage of dementia are all factors that can have an impact on the level of caregiver burden.

The first factor that has a measurable impact on the level of caregiver burden is sociodemographics, specifically, age and gender. If a dementia patient is being cared for at home, they are most likely to be cared for by a female spouse. This may have something to do with increased levels of caregiver burden in older females. One study in the Journal of Advanced Nursing, written by Heejung Kim, researches who is the most likely to suffer from higher levels of caregiver burden. The findings show that “Caregivers who are advanced in age and co-residents experience greater burden than young, male caregivers and those who live apart from the care-recipient”. Therefore, the age and gender of the caregiver can potentially predict higher levels of burden. Add one more connecting maybe?

The caregiver and care receiver’s premorbid relationship can have repercussions on the caregiver down the road. The premorbid relationship describes the connection between the caregiver and receiver before the diagnosis of dementia. Commonly, if the premorbid relationship is not strong, there will be an increased difficulty and care given will not be as effective. Dr. Pamela Steadman, a specialist in philosophy and psychology, writes, “Premorbid relationship satisfaction is associated with caregiver burden, such that less satisfaction may negatively affect caregivers’ reaction to patients’ behavior, communication and problem solving skills”. Contrarily, having a good bond between the caregiver and patient can lead to better communication, more tolerance, less frustration, and prolonged home care.

In addition to sociodemographics and premorbid relationship, the stage of dementia can contribute to the levels of caregiver burden. In the most advanced stages of dementia, the patient can lose motor skills and become extremely forgetful, delusional, and aggressive. As dementia gets more advanced, the roles of the caregiver become more demanding. Therefore, a “moderate to severe disability affecting basic daily activities in care-recipients is related to high caregiver burden”.

Overall, multiple factors of a caregiving situation can be predictors of increased caregiver burden. Being an older female spouse, having a poor relationship with the patient before diagnosis, and decreased health of the patient are typically factors leading to the negative mental, physical, and emotional wellbeing of the caregiver. However, all caregiving situations differ, so these factors may not be correct in every instance.

Caregiving can often be a 24-hour duty that requires the full attention of the caregiver. With little time for themselves, caregivers can have a decline in physical health due to stress, burnout, and lack of self-care. Caregivers can also face financial insecurity because of their loaded schedules. Financial insecurity can lead to reduced life satisfaction and additional stress.

Providing care for a dementia patient is physically demanding. Care receivers constantly need assistance with everyday activities, so caregivers spend plenty of their time and energy while helping. Caregiving leaves little time for relaxation and restoration of the body. This suspension of self-care leads to health complications. In addition to lack of self-care, caregivers also face an abundance of stress. While some stress can be healthy for individuals, the chronic stress of caregiving is not. Juheui Son states in an article published in the Journal of Aging Health, “Prolonged exposure to the chronic stress of caregiving can lead to changes in sympathetic arousal and cardiovascular reactivity, predisposing caregivers to hypertension and cardiovascular disease. Given these health changes, it is not surprising that caregivers have a greater risk of mortality than noncaregivers”.

As a family caregiver, it may be hard to give unpaid, round-the-clock care, and have a stable career simultaneously. Finding a high-income job that accommodates to the hours of the caregiver is nearly impossible. For many caregivers, financial instability is associated with their caregiving roles. Ms.Thommes, a caregiver in Mililani, Hawaii, reports, “‘A lot of women, especially single women, need to work…But at the same time they have all these responsibilities, to pay the bills, and to caregive. How can they possibly do all of that the same time?’’. Ms. Thommes and a myriad of other caregivers feel elevated pressure when it comes to caregiving and working concurrently. Additionally, not having a high income (over $75,000) can pose risks to the welfare of the caregiver. In his research, Daniel Kahneman concludes that “low income is associated both with low life evaluation and low emotional well-being”. In the end, making time for a job, finding the right job, and earning a high income is impractical for an around-the-clock caregiver.

The continuous roles of caregivers are not conducive to their physical and financial wellbeing. The legislatures in Hawaii acknowledged the burdens that family caregivers face and ratified the Kupuna Caregivers Act in 2017. The act pays caregivers who work more than 30 hours a week up to $70 a day for helping an elderly family member. Although these caregivers will not be earning a high income, the additional funds will take some burden off of their shoulders.

Debatably, the most prominent kind of burden that caregivers face is a mental burden. Caregiver roles require somebody who is resilient, patient, attentive, and quick-witted. They are frequently put in situations that are frustrating, troubling, or even violent. It is important for caregivers to problem solve quickly, but even the best caregivers can feel pressure from their roles. Not all caregiving situations have a negative effect on the caregiver’s wellbeing. Caregiving can bring delight and positivity to some caregivers.

One of the downsides of caring for a dementia patient is that there is no healing aspect of dementia. The disease progresses and only gets more advanced. The fact that dementia is a terminal illness could cause family caregivers to feel remorseful when the patient’s health declines. Unfortunately, “Dementia caregiving has been associated with increased levels of depression, anxiety, and anger”. The effects that dementia has on the care receiver, especially in later stages, can put caregivers in challenging positions that degrade their mental health.

Abstract

Clinicians have, over the years, recognized and utilized the therapeutic properties of music in alleviating the psychological and behavioral symptoms of dementia for patients and their caregivers. Dementia encompasses a range of conditions and diseases characterized by the progressive impairment and deterioration of a person’s cognitive domains. Without a cure or treatment available, various non-pharmacological interventions are necessary to optimize the effectiveness of the provided remedies and enhance the well-being of the patients and their carers. Numerous studies have enumerated music therapy’s cognitive and behavioral benefits, mainly when listening or singing is offered in group settings. Such interventions provide a wide range of behavioral, cognitive, and psychosocial advantages to patients. The therapy also enhances the mutuality of communication between clinicians and their clients, increases engagement, and reduces stress levels. This paper explores the clinical effectiveness of music therapy in mitigating the behavioral and psychological effects of dementia on patients and caregivers by reviewing the available quantitative and qualitative literature.

Introduction

Dementia ranks prominently among the most prevalent neurocognitive impairments and is a primary cause of disability, mortality, and dependency. The absence of an effective treatment modality for the disorder has necessitated the development of innovative interventions to assist patients and their caregivers in managing the progressive psychological and behavioral deterioration associated with the condition. The aim of undertaking this literature review is to establish the effectiveness of music therapy in helping people living with dementia and their carers cope with the condition and alleviate the symptoms’ severity. The analysis will evaluate quantitative and qualitative research articles to illuminate the effectiveness of singing and listening to music as a non-pharmacological intervention for dementia patients and their carers.

Background

Historically, healthcare professionals have exploited music’s therapeutic qualities and integrated them to treat and assist patients with mental illnesses. They have used it to improve the health outcomes of their patients, especially in the management and alleviation of the behavioral and psychological symptoms generated by dementia. Montinari et al. (2018) note that music, as a therapeutic intervention, has been used across civilizations for promoting mental and physical healing. Music therapists help caregivers release stress, enhance patient engagement, and promote a mutuality of communication, which significantly stimulates their cognitive, behavioral, and psychosocial wellbeing.

Problem Statement

The problem explored by this literature review is the effects of music therapy on the psychological and behavioral symptoms of patients living with dementia and their caregivers. The analysis will specifically address music’s benefits as a clinical intervention for mentally ill people and those who provide care. The review aims to gain an in-depth understanding and expand the existing knowledge on the therapeutic effects of music in promoting the overall well-being of nurses and alleviating dementia’s adverse behavioral and psychological symptoms. The insights gained are critical in developing future clinical interventions for managing symptoms and enhancing the accomplishment of positive outcomes for the patient and caregivers.

Literature Review

Dementia patients experience reduced quality of life due to the psychological and behavioral symptoms associated with the condition. The neurological disorder is characterized by the progressive deterioration and impairment of a person’s emotional, cognitive, social, and behavioral functions. The available pharmacological interventions have limited effectiveness in treating numerous aspects and features of the disease. However, other treatment modalities, such as music therapy, have proven effective in decelerating the cognitive decline and significantly restoring standard body functionalities. Further, interactive music sessions accompanied by activities such as dancing and clapping have demonstrated higher efficacy than passive listening.

Effects of Music on Emotional Functionality in Dementia Patients and their Caregivers

Listening and actively participating in music boosts mood, reduces agitation, and promotes emotional stability among dementia patients and their caregivers. A qualitative study exploring the impacts of music therapy-singing group of 37 participants showed that such interventions have multifaceted benefits to the patients and caregivers (Cho, 2018). The survey demonstrated that music experiences significantly promote emotional functionality and stability among the patient and caregivers due to the fulfillment and enjoyment resulting from active engagement. This study provides valuable insights regarding the profoundness and significance of the shared interactions, which activate the patient and carers’ reward system, promoting their positive feelings and overall wellbeing. Although this survey involved a relatively small sample, the findings’ integrity was adversely affected by the reliance on the participants’ self-reports, which was a significant flaw.

Moreover, music as a treatment option deepens social inclusion and positively impacts relationships, resulting in mutually gratifying and fulfilling interactions. Osman et al. (2016) posit that singing for dementia patients is a suitable and effective psychosocial intervention that benefits caregivers, particularly in easing stress, burnout, and mental and emotional exhaustion. A qualitative study involving 20 respondents established that music integration as a therapy enriched the thoughts, emotions, memories, and diagnosis acceptance by the patients and significantly alleviated caregivers’ burden. Sarkamo et al. (2016) noted that singing and music listening improved the caregivers’ and patients’ scores for emotional wellbeing. Although the small sample used by the researchers considerably reduces the study’s statistical power, it provides critical insights into the dual benefits of music in dementia treatment.

Further, dementia is a degenerative disease characterized by the progressive deterioration of its clinical manifestations. This implies that it is critical for clinicians and caregivers to implement a treatment modality that slows the decline of functionality. Sakamoto et al. (2013) contend that interactive music therapy is a more effective and beneficial intervention for alleviating the severity of symptoms. A qualitative study conducted on 39 people with severe Alzheimer’s disease showed that interactive music sessions significantly improved the patients’ emotional states. Although the experiment lasted for a few weeks and utilized a small sample size, it showed a long-term reduction in the condition’s clinical indications among the participants, including the restoration of emotional and cognitive functions. These findings are corroborated by King et al. (2019), who asserts that integrating music into the therapy for dementia plays an influential role in restoring and enhancing the effectiveness of brain function. The registered improvements in the reduction of symptom severity positively impact the caregivers’ wellbeing. The studies explored heterogeneous musical therapies, indicating the general effectiveness and benefits of singing and listening to music for carers and patients in reducing stress and reinforcing their emotional sturdiness.

Impacts of Music on the Cognitive Functionality of Dementia Patients and Carers

Various findings suggest that music therapy positively impacts cognition, particularly in patients with Alzheimer’s disease. Moreira et al. (2018) argue that singing and listening to music effectively restores memory, attention, and other cognitive functionalities. For instance, a mixed-method study conducted by Cunningham et al. (2019) on 14 respondents demonstrated the remarkable positive influence of music on patients and their caregivers on the quality of life and improved memory scales. Another quantitative survey finding involving 27 dementia patients revealed improved overall cognitive operations and mental skills as measured by the mini-mental state examination tool. Although the low sample size could adversely impact the statistical power of these two studies, they provide valuable insights into the effectiveness of music therapy in reducing cognitive deterioration in patients with Alzheimer’s.

Moreover, music boosts all the subdomains of cognitive functionality, including attention, verbal fluency, visuospatial, and language skills. A quantitative survey of 20 dementia patients demonstrated significantly restored cognition among the respondents who participated in the study (Brancatisano et al., 2019). In the survey, nine of the participants recorded improved attention while none showed any deterioration. In another quantitative experiment, individualized music sessions resulted in a remarkable decline in the number of dementia patients enrolled for antipsychotic and anxiolytic drugs, indicating the intervention’s effectiveness in improving respondents’ cognitive wellbeing (Thomas et al., 2017). Although this study involved a substantial sample size, the researchers could not control any differences, which could have impacted the outcomes.

Effects of Music Therapy on Behavioral Symptoms of Dementia

Dementia is associated with numerous behavioral signs and clinical indications, such as disinhibition, anxiety, psychosis, agitation, aggression, and sleep disorders. A quantitative study involving 42 patients demonstrated the significant effectiveness of music therapy in alleviating language disorders, hallucinations, irritability, delirium, and the patients’ inability to suppress unwanted or inappropriate behavior (Gallego & Garcia, 2017). Although this study produces insightful and vital findings, its integrity and statistical strength could be negatively affected by the small sample size and the brevity of the intervention. A randomized controlled, mixed-method survey involving 27 patients with moderate and severe dementia showed that music therapy considerably reduced psycho-behavioral disturbances among the participants (Pigliautile et al., 2019). For instance, some respondents registered improvements in declined verbal aggression and repetitive actions, further affirming the clinical effectiveness of singing and listening to music. This study yields practical insights which can be applied as an alternative treatment modality for dementia. However, the integrity, generalizability, and probity of this survey are substantially eroded by the heterogeneity of the respondents and the small sample size.

Further, caregivers of dementia patients experience high levels of burden, potentially exposing them to increased risk of diseases, including chronic stress, clinical depression, anxiety, and exhaustion. The results of a quantitative survey in which 75 people participated evaluated the effectiveness of music therapy in reducing the carers’ burden. The findings showed that the classical Turkish music intervention considerably reduced the caregivers’ burden and enhanced the regulation of patients’ blood pressure (Ugur et al., 2019). This study generates valuable illumination and reinforces the clinical benefits of music to dementia patients and their caregivers. Although the integrity of the results could be negatively affected by the relatively small sample, the duration of the study, which lasted for one year, enhances the validity of the outcomes. These findings are corroborated by a study involving 48 patients and caregivers evaluating the therapeutic implications of music in reducing apathy and depression. Overall, the study showed a negative causal relationship between music intervention, apathy, depressive symptoms, and general carers’ burden (Massaia et al., 2018). However, the integrity of this experiment is adversely affected by the inconclusive nature, particularly regarding whether the registered benefits were long-term.

Summary

Although the global disease burden for dementia continues to grow, there is no effective pharmacological intervention to help patients manage behavioral and psychological symptoms. However, clinicians and caregivers are increasingly adopting music as an alternative treatment option and therapeutic intervention. Multiple studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of this strategy in decelerating the progression of behavioral and psychological symptoms and reducing their severity. Notably, music therapy is also beneficial to caregivers as it decreases the associated stress, burnout, and emotional exhaustion.

Implications

This study’s overall clinical implication is that despite the absence of an effective pharmacological intervention for dementia, musical therapy should be viewed as an alternative treatment option for the condition. Additionally, the survey recommends implementing interactive music sessions to ensure the realization of maximum benefits for the patients and caregivers. Generally, people living with dementia should join a music therapy program following a conclusive diagnosis confirming the condition. This will be critical in delaying the onset of the debilitating clinical manifestations and symptoms. These findings underscore the essence of widespread surveys utilizing consistent methods and approaches targeted to homogenous caregivers and dementia patients. Another implication of these studies, experiments, and results is that music therapy in dementia treatment is still a largely understudied subject. This has substantially contributed to the generation of inconclusive or indefinite inferences and deductions.

Ideas for Future Research

Future qualitative and quantitative research should explore the therapy’s effectiveness in alleviating dementia symptoms using consistent methods, standardized music, and relatively large sample sizes. A specific approach under the quantitative method should encompass an experimental technique to establish the overall effectiveness of a particular music genre on an identified clinical manifestation, such as the improved memory retention scale. Similarly, qualitative research should evaluate the patients’ and caregivers’ perception of music therapy and how that opinion impacts the intervention’s overall effectiveness. These studies would advance the existing knowledge on the subject and illuminate specific areas of music therapy in dementia treatment.

Conclusion

The therapeutic properties of music are a valuable and powerful tool in the care and treatment of persons with dementia. Overall, Osman and colleagues’ qualitative research provides the most significant and insightful contribution as it simultaneously explores the benefits of music therapy to patients and caregivers. However, the absence of a consistent methodological approach, standardized music and low sample size in the studies adversely impact the generalizability, statistical power, and overall validity of the studies.