Most people are aware that music can promote changes in mood and help people feel better. This is because music has the ability to stimulate the release of endorphins from the pituitary gland in our brains. Endorphins are produced to assist in relieving stress and pain, and can facilitate a feeling of wellbeing. Music also has the capacity to stimulate dopamine release in our brains. Dopamine directly affects our thinking skills, emotions, and behaviours. It creates a music-evoked pleasure response.
For people living with memory loss, music can be especially beneficial. One of the reasons for this may be that despite declines in logical thinking processes and short-term memory, people living with dementia can still recall familiar melodies, the lyrics of songs, and events associated with those songs. This is a process known as music-stimulated autobiographical recall. Researchers have found no difference between people living with dementia and healthy adults when it comes to the way they respond to music and the memories and associated emotions that music can evoke. Memory for music is often stored in the areas of the brain that are not affected by dementia. Even when some parts of the brain are weakened by the disease, the fact that the brain uses many areas to process music means that the other parts can compensate for losses, and this explains why some people who have difficulties speaking may be able to sing quite fluently and some people who can't walk anymore are able to dance.
