Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2016 Nov;15(6):1326-1339.
doi: 10.1177/1471301214556291. Epub 2014 Nov 24.

'Singing for the Brain': A qualitative study exploring the health and well-being benefits of singing for people with dementia and their carers

Sara Eldirdiry Osman  1 , Victoria Tischler  2 , Justine Schneider  1
Affiliations

'Singing for the Brain': A qualitative study exploring the health and well-being benefits of singing for people with dementia and their carers

Sara Eldirdiry Osman et al. Dementia (London). 2016 Nov.

Abstract

Dementia has detrimental effects on cognitive, psychological and behavioural functioning, as well as significant impact on those who provide care. There is a need to find suitable psychosocial interventions to help manage the condition, enhance well-being, and to provide support for caregivers. This study explored the impact of Singing for the Brain™, an intervention based on group singing activities developed by The Alzheimer's Society for people with dementia and their carers. This qualitative study used semi-structured interviews with people with dementia and their carers. Ten interviews involving 20 participants were analysed thematically. Social inclusiveness and improvements in relationships, memory and mood were found to be especially important to participants. As well as enjoying the sessions, participants found that attending Singing for the Brain™ helped in accepting and coping with dementia.

Keywords: Singing for the Brain; dementia; music therapy; psychosocial care.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Aldridge D. (2000) Music therapy in dementia care, London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.
    1. Alzheimer Europe. (2012). Involving people with dementia. Ethics of dementia research. Retrieved from http://www.alzheimer-europe.org/Ethics/Ethical-issues-in-practice/Ethics....
    1. Bannan N., Montgomery-Smith C. (2008) ‘Singing for the brain’: Reflections on the human capacity for music arising from a pilot study of group singing with Alzheimer’s patients. Journal of the Royal Society for the Promotion of Health 128: 73–78. - PubMed
    1. Basting A. D. (2005) Dementia and the performance of self. Bodies in Commotion.202–213.
    1. Basting A. D. (2009) Forget memory: Creating better lives for people with dementia, Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press.