Music and Alzheimer’s Disease
A National Bibliographic Mapping of Studies Published Between 2014 and 2024
Keywords:
Music, Alzheimer's Disease, Music Therapy, Music EducationAbstract
Problem/Research Question
Population aging has intensified in recent decades, increasing the prevalence of conditions such as Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) (DESA, 2017), which is characterized by progressive impairment of memory, language, and executive functions due to neuronal death associated with the formation of beta-amyloid plaques (Nordon et al., 2009; Sereniki & Vital, 2008). Evidence from Cognitive Neuroscience indicates that musical practice activates multiple neural circuits and may facilitate memory recall, as musical memory can remain relatively preserved (Izquierdo, 2004; Muszkat, 2012). Furthermore, music contributes to the maintenance of identity, emotional expression, and socialization among older adults with AD (Martins & Quadros, 2021), constituting an effective form of neural stimulation (Gomes & do Amaral, 2012; Borges, Júnior & Blanch, 2021). Therefore, it is important to examine what national research has addressed regarding this topic from both therapeutic and music education perspectives. This abstract presents a segment of an ongoing PIBIC undergraduate research project conducted within a Music Teacher Education program at a Federal University in Northeastern Brazil.
Objectives
To conduct a bibliographic mapping of how music has been related to Alzheimer’s Disease in Brazilian academic publications between 2014 and 2024. Specifically, the study aimed to define Alzheimer’s Disease, identify Brazilian studies that relate music and AD, and organize the identified works according to their respective fields of knowledge.
Methods
This study consists of a descriptive bibliographic review with a qualitative approach. The search was conducted in academic databases and repositories such as Google Scholar, SciELO, and institutional repositories, considering publications from 2014 to 2024. The inclusion criteria were: articles published in journals and conference proceedings, undergraduate final papers, master’s dissertations, and doctoral theses written in Portuguese and available in public databases addressing Alzheimer’s and Music.
Results
Sixteen studies were identified. In the field of Music Education, eight studies were found, including two journal articles, five papers published in conference proceedings, and one undergraduate final paper. In the fields of Music Therapy and Speech-Language Pathology, five studies were identified, all of which were scientific articles published in health-related journals. One study in the field of Nursing was identified, corresponding to a master’s dissertation; one article was found in Occupational Therapy; and one doctoral thesis was identified in Neurolinguistics. The analysis of these works allowed the identification of three main thematic axes: music as a strategy for cognitive stimulation and memory recall; musical interventions in the therapeutic care of people with dementia; and music education practices aimed at the well-being and social participation of older adults (Izquierdo, 2004; Muszkat, 2012; Gomes & Amaral, 2012; Borges, Alves Júnior & Blanch, 2021; Santos, 2021; Oliveira et al., 2018).
Conclusion
The sixteen studies analyzed indicate that musical interventions can contribute to cognitive stimulation, memory recall, and the promotion of emotional well-being among older adults, especially those with dementia or Alzheimer’s Disease, highlighting the role of musical memory and autobiographical sonic experiences as mediators of cognitive, emotional, and social processes in aging.
