Alzheimer's patients' brains boosted by belting out Sound of Music
Four-month study finds mental performance of people with dementia improves after singing classic hits from musicals
Dementia researchers chose songs that would be familiar to care home residents, including The Sound of Music. Photograph: 20th Century Fox/Everett/Rex Features
Belting out classic numbers from hit musicals can boost the brain function of people with Alzheimer's disease, according to researchers who worked with elderly residents at a US care home.
Over a four-month study, the mental performance of patients who took part in regular group singing sessions improved compared with others who just listened.
In the sessions, patients were led through familiar songs from The Sound of Music, Oklahoma, The Wizard of Oz and Pinocchio.
The sessions appeared to have the most striking effect on people with moderate to severe dementia, with patients scoring higher on cognitive and drawing tests, and also on a satisfaction-with-life questionnaire at the end of the study.
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