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The Effects Of Music Therapy On Different Stages Of Alzheimer 's Disease

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Abstract: Individuals who are diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease suffer from a loss of memories due to the deterioration of the brain’s wiring. Music therapy, although only deeply researched and experimented on during the past decade or so, has ignited new possibilities for treating agitation and anxiety in moderate to severe Alzheimer’s disease. This essay investigates how effects of music therapy of different cultures help alleviate different stages of Alzheimer’s disease through autobiographical memory renewal. By reducing stress and enhancing cognitive function, music therapy enhances memory capacities for autobiographical and episodic memory. Because of the safe methods of musical intervention, individualistic countries such as the United States, Iceland, and France and collectivistic cultures such as Japan all devoted extensive efforts to experiment through case studies. Findings suggested that music therapy is effective in that familiar songs are excellent stimuli for reminiscence of the past that lead to cognitive rejuvenation or re-stimulation. Data from all the case studies of musical interventions demonstrate that reminiscence and stress can be reduced to elevate mood and happiness, a means of rediscovering life’s meaning. However, music therapy’s effects in the long-term has yet to be determined—whether it permanently enhances or not. However, music therapy’s existing capabilities can also be potentially useful to treat depression, Parkinson’s disease and
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