Healthcare: How Music Can Affect Alzheimer Patients

How Music Can Affect Alzheimer Patients

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How Music Can Affect Alzheimer Patients

Introduction

This is a very chronic degenerative condition that begins gradually as it worsens with time (Thaut et al., 2014). The researchers indicate that it has been recorded to be the root cause of approximately 70 percent of dementia. The most common symptom that has been associated with the conditions is the inability to recall any events that occurred recently (Thaut et al., 2014). The disease causes a more significant effect as it advances, it causes mood swings, disorientation, behavioral issues and language problems (Baird et al., 2009). These conditions lead to many people being withdrawn from the family and society. It may ultimately lead to death.

The disease does not have root because that is well understood. Though it is believed to have been inherited genetically (Huang et al., 2012). Furthermore, risk factors that are said to be involved with the condition include head injuries, hypertension, and depression (Huang et al., 2012). It was first associated with aging before probable diagnosis indicating that the history of the disease could be illness, cognitive testing, and medical imaging of blood samples. Moreover, brain tissues can be examined (El Haj et al., 2013). Specialists recommend that one can avoid AD through physical exercise, mental exercise, and avoidance of obesity.

The independent variable associated with the disease is the ability of the condition to undergo treatment through different medications (Ellis et al., 2010). The dependent variables associated with this disease is the progression of the disease even after treatment (Ellis et al., 2010). These variables do fluctuate according to age and gender. The current hypothesis about AD is the fact that the condition is medically complicated and it involves various factors (Castellani et al., 2010). This is because the human brain is complex and there are no reasonable animal models or rather research tools. This makes the pathogenesis of AD absolutely unclear

Theoretical Framework

            Research from Simmons-Stern et al. (2012), confirmed that listening to music or playing music to a patient who is suffering from Alzheimer provides emotional and behavioral benefits. This is because the music links to key brain areas which are always undamaged by the disease (Simmons-Stern et al., 2012). It has been considered by Peck et al.  (2016), that music relieves the stress experienced by a patient and reduces on the anxiety disorders and depression. Music to Alzheimer patients helps to lighten the moods and provide a way that may help them to connect, this is because they have difficulty communicating.

Music has been confirmed by researchers to invoke emotions of the patients suffering from Alzheimer and help them to bring on memories. By pairing music to activities partaken day to day by the patients, the rhythms help them to recall the memories associated to the musical tune, this aids in the cognitive improvement with time (Thaut et al., 2014). Since singing is engaging, the singing sessions engage the brain areas that are related to music (Thaut et al., 2014). Singing is known to activate the left side of the brain. This helps the mind power to be exercised better than usual.

This research paper will explore the foundational remedies of Alzheimer disease. With music as the case study, the paper will attempt to give the evidence required to support the musical theory that is related to the conditions. The research framework towards the appropriate understanding of the remedy of this condition will be discussed in this paper, the purpose will be to help us understand and effectively treat the Alzheimer condition and any other related cases such as dementia. The field has experienced monumental setbacks in the discovery of solutions and effective drug therapies. Clinical trials have tried to develop pharmacological solutions that would target disease-related brain change.

Literature Review

            Researchers Castellani et al. (2010) and Baird et al. (2009), argue that despite the intriguing clinical observations and experiments, there has been no formal research that has assessed the possible sparing of musical recognition and the memory of Alzheimer dementia. Case studies were performed on patients with the condition including an 84yr old man with severe cognitive impairment. The patient's music recognition and memory were spared and he lightened up when music was played. The hypothesis discovered that memory was familiar with the music and the secondly musical recognition could be assessed with existing behavioral observations.

Researchers argue that the envisioning of Alzheimer disease as a biological construct will open the doors for appropriate comprehension of the events that lead to cognitive impairments. This is also related to the multiple causes of the disease. Once scientific methods are involved, precise therapy trial will include more specific focus that includes appropriate people. Researchers, therefore, appreciate the use of appropriate frameworks in medical practice that will help hypothesize the disease (Peck et al., 2-16). The disease should not be considered a superlative of age-related causes.

Technologies have made it possible to let us understand the pathological details of the disease (El Haj et al., 2013). Apparently, professionals have begun to treat the disease as a systemic condition and thus they are paying more attention to the brains and the related organs (El Haj et al., 2013). This disease is expected to have a principle basis on holism and great effort should be made to fundamental laws on AD by creating the appropriate models that will help in the efficient numeric assessment (El Haj et al., 2013). Apparently, just like traditional Chinese drugs, combinations of treatments and systemic therapies will be a way out.

Methodology

Studies were conducted on a quantitative framework. This was to get the statistical figures that would help one determine how frequent the disease can be associated with musical rhythms. In this case, the research patients that were used were aged 60 years and older and they had been recruited from various nursing facilities that had a specialty in the Alzheimer disease.

This was to determine how playing music would correlate to the ability of the patient to recall memories. Music was played to the patients for 30 minutes for a total of thirty days this was to measure their cognitive potential. Questions are asked regarding their past. The questions are those which the researcher knows the answers to. In comparison, another group would be put together with the same patient type. This has to be in the same period of time, but in this case, no music is played. The patients would be questioned about the past. The Questionnaire that was used has been indicated in the appendix

Applicability to Nursing

Witnessing a friend or family member experiencing Alzheimer's Disease cannot be pleasing. The conditions progress to forgetfulness and mood swings and personality changes, this leads to communication incoherence and finally full-time care. The significance of this condition to the nursing profession is to let one get a clear view of the symptoms that may lead to the condition. This helps nurses diagnose their patients appropriately.

The applicability of the study in nursing is to impact the professionals with the knowledge required, this may help in research (Huang et al., 2012). Since Alzheimer's disease has been placed on consistent lab research, remedies are anticipated to be found to help treat the disease (Huang et al., 2012). The study of the disease provides nurses with the appropriate knowledge that will help them understand the morphology of the disease and how it impacts the brain of a person.

Moreover, the impact on the study to nurses, in particular, is to help them find a way in which they can care for such conditions. Since music helps to boost their cognitive ability, it is important that nurses may employ this method more often (Thaut et al., 2014). As a result, patients with the disease may have a slight ability to become like others who do not have the disease. Moreover, the study should impact the nurses and other health specialists with the insight on how to deal with the relatives or loved one of the patients suffering from AD (Thaut et al., 2014). They can be comforted and advised on what to do. Moreover, lessons can be given to them on how they can take care of the condition.

Conclusion

The above study has enabled us to understand the Alzheimer disease. Apparently, researchers have confirmed that approximately 7million Americans are suffering from Alzheimer disease. The statistics give one the desire to understand the resultant causes of the disease which scientists have not yet discovered. The symptoms associated with the disease include memory loss which the study has confirmed can be boosted by musical tunes. According to the study above, patients tend to have their memory triggered once they listen to music.

Moreover, the musical part of the brain does not get affected by the disease, therefore as per the research conducted in this study, many patients suffering from Alzheimer, trigger their memory ability once music is played. This is not the case for patients who do not listen to music. Finally, the study of Alzheimer and the knowledge associated with it is expected to impact the nurses and health professional. Since advanced research needs to be conducted to find the cure and the root cause of the disease, knowledge of the symptoms and effects of the disease is significant.

References

Baird, A., & Samson, S. (2009). Memory for music in Alzheimer’s disease: unforgettable? Neuropsychology review, 19(1), 85-101.

Castellani, R. J., Rolston, R. K., & Smith, M. A. (2010). Alzheimer disease. Disease-a-month: DM, 56(9), 484.

Ellis, R. J., & Thayer, J. F. (2010). Music and autonomic nervous system (days) function. Music Perception: An Interdisciplinary Journal, 27(4), 317-326.

El Haj, M., Clément, S., Fasotti, L., & Allain, P. (2013). Effects of music on autobiographical verbal narration in Alzheimer's disease. Journal of Neurolinguistics, 26(6), 691-700.

Huang, Y., & Mucke, L. (2012). Alzheimer mechanisms and therapeutic strategies. Cell, 148(6), 1204-1222.

Peck, K. J., Girard, T. A., Russo, F. A., & Fiocco, A. J. (2016). Music and memory in Alzheimer's disease and the potential underlying mechanisms. Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, 51(4), 949-959.

Simmons-Stern, N. R., Deason, R. G., Brandler, B. J., Frustace, B. S., O'Connor, M. K., Ally, B. A., & Budson, A. E. (2012). Music-based memory enhancement in Alzheimer's disease: Promise and limitations. Neuropsychologia, 50(14), 3295-3303.

That, M., & Hoemberg, V. (Eds.). (2014). Handbook of neurologic music therapy. Oxford University Press (UK).

Appendix

The Alzheimer’s Questionnaire

When Music is played

Without music being Played