The Impact of Music on the Brains of Patients with Alzheimer's Disease, ADHD, and Bipolar Disorder

JENNIFER A. SHERIDAN 

NOTRE DAME DE NAMUR UNIVERSITY 

CPY 5205: NEUROPHYSIOLOGY AND PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY 

DR. CAROLEE A. STABNO, PSY.D., LMFT 

MARCH 11, 2024

Music therapy

Music and the brain

Image Credit: DrJockers.com

Alzheimer's disease

• Alzheimer's disease is a progressive neurological disorder that primarily affects memory, thinking skills, and behavior resulting in a gradual decline in cognitive function, including memory loss, difficulty with problem-solving, confusion, and changes in mood and behavior. 

Image Credit: Healthwise

Music therapies to help Alzheimer's patients

•  Musical Mnemonics
• Alzheimer's patients frequently have difficulty learning and retaining new information, which negatively impacts their daily lives. Musical mnemonics have been shown to be a memory enhancer in Alzheimer's patients. 
•  Active Music Interventions
• Singing along, playing percussion, and adding physical �movements to the music has shown better outcomes than �just listening.
•  Receptive Music Interventions
• While AMI had better outcomes overall, RMI showed to �decrease agitation and induce relaxation.
•  Individualized Playlist (and/or Music Played by Music Therapist)
• Improvement in mood, language, and memory

​

Possible reasons why music shows positive impact on Alzheimer's patients

•  Stimulation of Neurogenesis and Neuroplasticity
• Music-evoked emotions can activate the anterior hippocampal formation; may also stimulate neurogenesis
•  Stimulation of Dopamine Release
• Dopamine has been shown to be diminished in Alzheimer's patients and music has been shown to increase dopamine release, especially when making music; might even prevent age-related cognitive decline 
•  Anti-Inflammatory Response
• Music-evoked emotions reduce stress and activate the autonomic nervous system – specifically influences neuroendocrine stress response and modulates immune system activity
• A central pathology in Alzheimer's disease has emerged – the presence of persistent immune response in the brain

Music connects dementia patients with their memories and improves cognition for a time afterwards

ADHD

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by a persistent pattern of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity that interferes with functioning or development.  These symptoms typically begin in childhood and can persist into adulthood, impacting various aspects of life such as academic performance, work, and social relationships. 

Image Credit: Verdugo Psychological Associates

How music helps those with ADHD

•  Music as Structure
• Provides a concrete amount of time in which to accomplish a task; using music to create a routine helps with ADHD symptoms of timeblindness and hyperfixation 
•  Improves Focus
• Listening to certain kinds of music while studying has been shown to improve focus and increase time on task; stimulation to the brain has shown an increase in brain performance
•  Decreases Anxiety
• Anxiety and ADHD are commonly co-occuring, and anxiety often exacerbates ADHD symptoms; listening to relaxing music reduces sympathetic arousal and increases parasympathetic activity in the brain
•  Boosts Dopamine
• Some people with ADHD produce less dopamine and music has been shown to increase dopamine release, helping with motivation and mood swings
•  Music Therapy Helps with Co-occurring Depression, Improves Memory, Reduces Impulsivity and Aggression
• Shown to reduce co-occurring depression in those with ADHD through serotonin activation and stress coping ability improvement using both active and receptive music intervention
• Music therapy engages brain in short- and long-term memory stimulation and helps with attention and focus, and problem-solving
• Active music therapy has been shown to improve brain hemispheres working synchronously and social skills and decrease aggression and impulsivity

Music offers certain benefits and may help a child with ADHD focus

Bipolar disorder

Bipolar disorder is a mental health condition characterized by extreme mood swings that include emotional highs (mania or hypomania) and lows (depression). These mood shifts can vary in intensity and duration and can significantly disrupt a person's ability to function in daily life. 

Image Credit: Cureus.com

How music might help with �bipolar disorder

•  May Help Reduce Anxiety and Improve Well-Being
• One review study showed a possible improvement in anxiety symptoms and overall well-being in people with bipolar disorder enaged in music therapy
•  May Help Connect with Emotions
• One study showed people with bipolar disorder experiencing more complex negative emotions with listening to music
•  May Help with Emotional Regulation
• Studies have not focused on bipolar specifically, but studies show music therapy to help with depression, anxiety, and overall emotional regulation
• One small 2016 study covering music therapy's impact on a variety of disorders, including bipolar, showed that ongoing group music therapy enabled patients with bipolar to reduce their antipsychotic doses
• Many people with bipolar disorder talk about how music (especially making music) becomes an emotional outlet for them, giving them a place to channel the chaos they are feeling

​

​

Making music while living with bipolar disorder

Stop: 2:55

References

• ABC Classic. (2021, December 2). Making music while living with mental illness. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3zIYwQ3dl8%E2%80%8B 
• Bleibel, M., El Cheikh, A., Sadier, N. S., & Abou-Abbas, L. (2023). The effect of music therapy on cognitive functions in patients with alzheimer’s disease: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials. Alzheimer’s Research & Therapy, 15(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13195-023-01214-9 
• Choppin, S., Trost, W., Dondaine, T., Millet, B., Drapier, D., Vérin, M., Robert, G., & Grandjean, D. (2016). Alteration of complex negative emotions induced by music in EUTHYMIC patients with bipolar disorder. Journal of Affective Disorders, 191, 15–23. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2015.10.063 
• Deason, R. G., Simmons-Stern, N. R., Frustace, B. S., Ally, B. A., & Budson, A. E. (2012). Music as a memory enhancer: Differences between healthy older adults and patients with alzheimer’s disease. Psychomusicology: Music, Mind, and Brain, 22(2), 175–179. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0031118 
• Degli Stefani, M., & Biasutti, M. (2016). Effects of music therapy on drug therapy of adult psychiatric outpatients: A pilot randomized controlled study. Frontiers in Psychology, 7. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2016.01518 
• The Disorders Care. (2022, July 31). Music is a powerful tool for people with ADHD | ADHD and music. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VLQwkYq9Ju0 
• Haugwitz, B. (2021). Music therapy in the early detection and indicated prevention in persons at risk of bipolar disorders: State of knowledge and potential. British Journal of Music Therapy, 35(1), 16–26. https://doi.org/10.1177/1359457521997386 
• Martin-Moratinos, M., Bella-Fernández, M., & Blasco-Fontecilla, H. (2023). Effects of music on attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and potential application in serious video games: Systematic review. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 25. https://doi.org/10.2196/37742 

References

• Matziorinis, A. M., & Koelsch, S. (2022). The promise of music therapy for alzheimer’s disease: A Review. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1516(1), 11–17. https://doi.org/10.1111/nyas.14864 
• Mawjee, K., Woltering, S., & Tannock, R. (2015). Working memory training in post-secondary students with ADHD: A randomized controlled study. PLOS ONE, 10(9). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0137173 
• Music Therapy Hub. (2019, June 27). What is music therapy?. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UjhgHEDG0NU 
• Park, J.-I., Lee, I.-H., Lee, S.-J., Kwon, R.-W., Choo, E.-A., Nam, H.-W., & Lee, J.-B. (2023). Effects of music therapy as an alternative treatment on depression in children and adolescents with ADHD by activating serotonin and improving stress coping ability. BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies, 23(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12906-022-03832-6 
• Parker, F. R. (2020). The effect of music on the on-task behavior of students with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Psychomusicology: Music, Mind, and Brain, 30(3), 119–123. https://doi.org/10.1037/pmu0000256 
• RCN. (2023, October 24). How to use music in Dementia Care. YouTube. https://youtu.be/5mcqU4q6NKY?si=DefJ5maTkjXsaDnG 
• Zhang, F., Liu, K., An, P., You, C., Teng, L., & Liu, Q. (2012). Music therapy for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children and adolescents. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.cd010032 

​