Husband calls for change to law after wife’s dementia diagnosis

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Dementia, which currently affects around 850,000 people in the UK, is characterised by an onslaught of confusion and memory loss that pose a substantial threat to the livelihood of sufferers. Figures revealed that Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease killed around 70,000 thousand people last year alone. What’s more, it is believed one in three people born in the UK today will develop the condition. There is no cure to halt the progression of cognitive decline, so alternative measures have been embraced to protect against the condition. Feeding information to patients through music has been identified as one method to help patients retain new information.

Music has gained therapeutic value in the past decade, helping improve mood, regulate emotion and relieve the stress associated with a host of conditions.

It has also been shown that music could help people with Alzheimer’s disease remember events from their own past when music is playing in the background.

Singing to elder people with dementia may also help them retain new information.

A study conducted in care homes over a period of four months found that singing in group music sessions significantly improved the cognitive abilities of sufferers.

Researchers believe music could help preserve memories in the brain of dementia patients because the key brain areas linked to musical memories are relatively undamaged by the disease.

The lead author of the study Ting Choo said the aim of the study was to promote a better quality of life for patients by providing memory stimulation, mood moderation and social interaction.

Speaking of the result, Mr Choo said: “They responded to the music greatly and showed enthusiasm in moving to the music regardless of their physical limitation.

“Positive responses such as memory recalling and spontaneous dancing and joking with each other were observed in every session.

“These observations have certainly reversed the stereotypical understanding of this group of people being passive and immobile.

“The music stimulated their responses much better than verbal instructions.”

Cognitive reserve, which can be acquired through education, has also been shown to protect against the deficits of dementia.

Research has consistently highlighted the importance of early diagnosis, treatment and social inclusion to help improve the quality of life of dementia patients.

Music has long been recognised as an effective non-pharmacological treatment to help appease unpleasant symptoms in patients.

What’s more, music practice could compensate for age-related decline in processing speed, memory and cognition.

Dementia usually occurs in people over the age of 65, however, figures show that the condition afflicts around 40,000 younger adults in the UK.

Although there are some common symptoms associated with dementia, such as memory loss, specific symptoms often depend on the part of the brain affected and the type of condition causing the illness.

Existing drugs to treat dementia only merely suppress cognitive symptoms.

While the cures for the condition are still limited, this year the first drug in nearly 20 years was given conditional approval by US regulators.

Aducanumab, which targets proteins in the brain, may be able to tackle the underlying cause of the disease and halt its progression, marking a breakthrough in dementia research.

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