Music and the Aging Brain

Music and the Aging Brain

2020, Pages 317-332
Music and the Aging Brain

Chapter 12 - Benefits and limits of musical interventions in pathological aging

https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-817422-7.00012-2Get rights and content

Abstract

Musical interventions are now largely supported by many national health agencies as pertinent nonpharmacological care in pathological aging. Particularly, in the context of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s, the interest of these interventions is typically to allow, notably during the early stages of the disease, significant reduction of anxiety and depression disorders with passive music listening sessions, and at the severe stage of illness, resistance against apathy and stimulation of cognition through singing workshops.

Surprisingly, clinical trials on the impact of musical interventions in dementia have been somewhat disappointing, often showing no or little effect on behavioral and cognitive difficulties. In this chapter, we review the various reasons often presented to explain the weaknesses of evidence of the impact of musical interventions: heterogeneity of interventions and frequent methodological problems (small samples of participants, absence of a control group, etc.). Particularly, we mention several limits (heterogeneity in pathologies and their severities, lack of treatment indication, etc.) that are crucial aspects to consider to improve the relevance of clinical interventions. In spite of this somewhat gloomy picture, we finally underline the importance of growing evidence showing that scientifically based musical interventions, founded on results from the neurosciences of music, show a positive effect on clinical outcomes.

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