Music Therapy and Psycho-behavioral Disorders in the Elderly Population

Since the 1990s, neuroscience, with functional MRI, has made it possible to understand the beneficial neurophysiological effect of music on man and his brain. They have shown that music stimulates brain plasticity and contributes to the reorganization of the affected neural circuits. The concept of cerebral plasticity and cerebral symphony have thus been developed. In March 2008, the HAS (High Authority for Health) proposed in its recommendations good practices concerning the management of neurodegenerative diseases that "Music therapy, aromatherapy, multisensory stimulation ... could improve certain of behavior's aspects ". Music has shown that memory capacity can remain present in people with Alzheimer's disease even in the advanced stages. Music also improves the well-being of patients with Alzheimer's or mixed dementia living in institutions and reduces the suffering of caregivers. It improves communication with others, including those who have lost the usual codes of communication and improves the quality of sleep of elderly people living in institutions. However, although musical interventions have recently gained popularity as a non-pharmacological treatment for dementia, the scientific evidence warrants further research.