Some of us are music-mad and cannot contemplate life devoid of the melodies and songs that give meaning to and enriches our lives. Turns out, music has various benefits beyond the obvious ones of making us feel happy, transporting us to happy places and times in our lives. Recent research shows that people suffering from Alzheimer’s disease can benefit from therapy that includes music:
Researchers found that personalised music programs for patients with dementia or Alzheimer's could help reduce anxiety, improve mood, and help control other disease symptoms. Music helps to activate certain sensitive areas of the brain that helps to delay the decline of brain tissue that characterises these diseases.
People with Alzheimer's and dementia often find the world unfamiliar and confusing, which can make them anxious and disoriented. Music that has been personalised to each patient can help comfort the person and also help activate those areas of the brain that are still functioning relatively well. According to researchers, music is a way to meaningfully communicate with Alzheimer’s patients.
Research also demonstrates how music can help with pain management. Music can change cognitive functions, help with relaxation, improve the mood and hence act as an effective non-pharmacological tool to help people deal with pain.
For a long time, researchers have postulated that there is a positive correlation between musical training and IQ. More recently, researchers have also demonstrated that music helps with spatial learning, memory, verbal memory and verbal intelligence.
Medical professionals and carers frequently include music therapy into behavioural interventions for autism. This is because music appears to stimulate both hemispheres of the brain. This can help develop communication skills, improve interpersonal relationships, build self awareness and also improve cognition. By introducing a musical instrument into therapy settings, an autistic child can start to bond with the instrument and what it represents and then find it easier to interact and bond with others as well.
There is little to prove that classical music makes babies in the womb or new born babies smarter. However, music does seem to soothe little babies – it calms them, helps them sleep better and could also improve feeding and sucking, which can be very important for premature infants. So the age-old tradition of singing lullabies to help babies sleep is probably based on sound science!
Most of us have actually experienced this: a good, fast beat may help us jog, walk or cycle faster, it could make for a more effective workout in the gym or aerobics class. This probably explains the success of Zumba, Jazz exercise classes and other workouts that involve music. Research has shown the music actually improves running performance among athletes.
Because of its mood-improving and relaxation-enhancing properties, music is also seen to help people sleep better. While some types of music are invigorating and energising, other types of music help to soothe and calm the mind, making it easier to fall into sweet, sweet slumber.
This one is certainly true for me! Putting on some golden oldies from Hindi films, some upbeat Billy Joel, or ghazals that I haven’t heard for some time has a positive impact on me behind the wheel of a car. It reduces feelings of anger and makes me more kindly disposed towards the assorted idiots and animals that populate our roads. So long as the music isn’t too loud to obscure sounds from outside, I say it can only do you good!
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