The Healing Power of Music: The Impact of Music Therapy on Alzheimer’s Disease

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive neurological disorder characterized by memory loss, cognitive decline, and emotional challenges that eventually interfere with daily life and relationships. It currently affects millions worldwide, and effective pharmaceutical treatments remain limited. Amid growing concerns about these limitations, music therapy—a clinical approach led by trained professionals that uses music to improve emotional, cognitive, and behavioral outcomes—is gaining recognition as a powerful non-pharmacological intervention.

While AD significantly impairs episodic memory (the conscious recollection of specific events), musical memory often remains remarkably intact—even in advanced stages of the disease. This phenomenon offers a unique opportunity: music can serve as a cognitive and emotional lifeline for patients struggling with neurodegeneration. Recent studies confirm that both active and receptive music interventions enhance memory, verbal fluency, orientation, and mood. Notably, patients participating in as few as four music therapy sessions showed significant improvements in anxiety, agitation, and depression (Gómez Gallego & Gómez García, 2017).

One key reason for music’s effectiveness lies in its ability to engage multiple brain areas, including those less affected by AD. Although Alzheimer’s disease causes widespread brain damage, it does not affect all regions equally or simultaneously. The disease typically begins in areas responsible for forming new memories, such as the hippocampus, while brain regions involved in processing music—like the auditory cortex, motor area s, and emotional centers—often remain intact much longer 

Importantly, these neuroanatomical impacts translate into real-world benefits. Studies indicate that both active and passive music therapy can significantly enhance cognitive abilities and alleviate anxiety, aggression, and irritability (Sahar Nikkhah Bahrami et al., 2024).  Furthermore, music therapy—defined as interventions conducted by trained therapists—is shown to meet psychosocial needs, foster positive caregiver relationships, and stimulate preserved cognitive functions. Evidence supports short-term reductions in distress and improved engagement (Thompson et al., 2024).

But what does music therapy actually look like? In community-based programs, people with Alzheimer’s and their caregivers participate in shared musical activities—such as singing, movement, and storytelling—led by a certified music therapist. These sessions are tailored to each person’s background and preferences, helping stimulate memory, encourage social connection, and provide emotional relief. For caregivers, the program offers peer support and an opportunity to reconnect meaningfully with their loved one, reducing stress and isolation (Rio, 2018).

Music therapy is both an art and a science. While many musicians perform regularly at nursing and retirement homes—and these performances provide significant positive effects—such activities are not considered music therapy. A true music therapy session must be led by a certified music therapist, typically with a degree in music therapy, and designed with specific clinical goals tailored to the patient’s needs.

For me, music therapy highlights the incredible way that art and science can come together to heal and connect people, even in the face of diseases like Alzheimer’s. Knowing that something as simple and beautiful as music can bring comfort, memory, and joy to those struggling emphasizes the daily real world impacts of music.

References

Bleibel, M., El Cheikh, A., Sadier, N. S., & Abou-Abbas, L. (2023). The effect of music therapy on cognitive functions in patients with Alzheimer’s disease: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials. Alzheimer’s Research & Therapy, 15(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13195-023-01214-9

Bonakdarpour, B. (2022, July). Music as Medicine for Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia. Northwestern Medicine. https://www.nm.org/healthbeat/healthy-tips/emotional-health/music-as-medicine-alzheimers-dementia

Gómez Gallego, M., & Gómez García, J. (2017). Music therapy and Alzheimer’s disease: Cognitive, psychological, and behavioural effects. Neurología (English Edition), 32(5), 300–308. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nrleng.2015.12.001

Matziorinis, A. M., & Koelsch, S. (2022). The Promise of Music Therapy for Alzheimer’s disease: a Review. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1516(1), 11–17. https://nyaspubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nyas.14864

Rio, R. (2018). A Community-Based Music Therapy Support Group for People With Alzheimer’s Disease and Their Caregivers: A Sustainable Partnership Model. Frontiers in Medicine, 5(293). https://doi.org/10.3389/fmed.2018.00293

Sahar Nikkhah Bahrami, Momtazmanesh, S., & Rezaei, N. (2024). Music therapy for Alzheimer’s disease management: a narrative review. The Egyptian Journal of Neurology, Psychiatry and Neurosurgery /˜the œEgyptian Journal of Neurology, Psychiatry and Neurosurgery, 60(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s41983-024-00836-6

Thompson, N., Odell-Miller, H., Underwood, B. R., Wolverson, E., & Hsu, M.-H. (2024). How and why music therapy reduces distress and improves well-being in advanced dementia care: a realist review. Nature Mental Health, 2. https://doi.org/10.1038/s44220-024-00342-x