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Review
. 2021 Jun 9;9(6):698.
doi: 10.3390/healthcare9060698.

Impact of Alzheimer's Dementia on Caregivers and Quality Improvement through Art and Music Therapy

Laura-Cristina Popa  1 , Mihnea Costin Manea  1   2 , Diana Velcea  1 , Ion Șalapa  1 , Mirela Manea  1   2 , Adela Magdalena Ciobanu  1   3
Affiliations
Review

Impact of Alzheimer's Dementia on Caregivers and Quality Improvement through Art and Music Therapy

Laura-Cristina Popa et al. Healthcare (Basel). .

Abstract

Dementia is a general term for a series of medical conditions that affect the brain and evolve progressively. According to the literature, there are over 200 subtypes and causes of dementia, with Alzheimer's disease (AD) being the most common in elderly people. AD is an irreversible progressive neurodegenerative condition that leads to a decline in mental function, enough to disrupt daily life. Thinking skills slowly deteriorate, which, in advanced stages, makes it impossible to perform simple tasks. Besides the change in the quality of life of AD patients and their families, there is a considerable alteration in the quality of life of their caregivers, whose health can be negatively affected by the development of mental and somatic disorders. This article reviews the literature in order to reveal the benefits of applying non-pharmacological interventions such as music and art therapy to improve quality of life. This article also aims to shed light on the impact of this disease on the caregiver's life. Music and art therapy have produced reliable results in the treatment of patients with AD, and the best effects are related to increased socialization and the maintenance of social status.

Keywords: Alzheimer’s; alternative therapy; art therapy; caregivers; clinical trials; dementia; music therapy; non-pharmacological; quality of life.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Flowchart overview of the results; how papers were retrieved, screened, and included.
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