abstract: Older people with dementia are especially susceptible to the incongruence created by an environment that is unfamiliar. Although they have impaired explicit memory, implicit memory and habits are often preserved. One form of implicit memory is associated with the sense of familiarity. Since people with dementia are typically unable to learn or interpret a new environment, introducing a sense of familiarity can enhance their functional abilities. Music is often used as a catalyst for reminiscence in older people. Familiar objects or music can stimulate remote memories associated with positive feelings. Areas of the brain that respond to music may be the last to deteriorate, making music one form of communication that remains preserved. Music that elicits positive memories from the past can have a soothing effect and so reduce agitation.
authors.affiliation: MSc Gerontological Practice, University of Portsmouth.
authors.forename: Ruth
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sander