The Healing Power of Music

In his new book, Musicophilia: Tales Of Music And The Brain, Dr. Oliver Sacks talks about the relationship of music with the human brain: “music occupies more areas of our brain than language does—humans are a musical species,” he tells us.

As a neurologist, one of Sacks’ main themes is the part music can play in the treatment of diseases which affect the brain such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. He observes that because the part of the brain which responds to music is distinct from those areas affected by dementia and Parkinson’s, people who suffer from those conditions can often dance, sing, or relate with others in a normal way while the musical sense is being stimulated. People who have suffered a stroke and have difficulty communicating with speech are often able to sing.

He speaks of groups of patients with severe dementia who live in a terrible state of confusion and isolation, but will recognize a song being played and begin to sing together, inducing a feeling of calm and enabling them to bond with one another.

There is another case of 90-year-old Woody Geist who has Alzheimer’s and has problems with his memory and communication, but continues to be a successful soloist with his a cappella group, The Grunyons. A woman with Parkinson’s who is otherwise immobile will ‘come to life’ for the length of time it takes for Chopin’s Fantasy in F Minor to play in her mind.

Music can help restore Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s patients to themselves for a while, and Dr Sacks says music therapy is crucial for them. He says you don’t need a music therapist; even playing music on an iPod can make a huge difference.

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