Everyone will deal with age-related health problems at some point in their lives. However, dementia is one of the most prevalent medical conditions affecting older people today.

In fact, 78 million people are expected to have a dementia diagnosis by 2030.

Currently, there is no cure for dementia. However, the symptoms of dementia can be managed or relieved in many different ways. Medications are helpful, but many caregivers and healthcare providers are learning how music affects memory in positive ways.

This article will discuss the different types of dementia and how you can build a musical soundtrack for someone living with dementia.

Dementia is a catch-all term for neurological disorders that affect cognitive function. A broad description of symptoms includes memory loss, behavioural changes, personality changes, and speech or motor function loss.

While there are different dementia diagnoses, all are characterised by physical changes to the brain. Let's learn more about the specific types of dementia.

Alzheimer's is the most common form of dementia, accounting for nearly 80% of dementia diagnoses. In Alzheimer's cases, specific proteins build up in the brain, disrupting how neurons function. The neurons die off, causing brain matter to atrophy.

Those who have Alzheimer's have trouble forming new memories. However, memories from earlier stages of their life sometimes remain intact.

Lewy body dementia is linked to another abnormal protein in the brain. Many of the hallmark symptoms of Lewy body dementia are similar to Alzheimer's, namely memory loss and confusion.

However, Lewy body dementia is identified by symptoms not commonly seen in Alzheimer's disease. These symptoms include profound hallucinations, delusions, and problems with walking and other movements. Some researchers believe Lewy body dementia and Parkinson's disease may be related.

Sometimes called Pick's disease, frontotemporal dementia primarily affects the parts of the brain responsible for speech and language. Many people who develop FTD do not experience the profound memory loss seen in other forms of dementia.

Instead, the proteins responsible for FTD affect the speaking part of the brain. Some people lose parts of their vocabulary or can't speak in complete sentences. Others lose their ability to speak altogether.

FTD affects people earlier in life, sometimes as early as 40. This helps distinguish FTD from other types of dementia.

Vascular dementia occurs when brain cells don't receive enough oxygen. This type of dementia usually occurs after a stroke or other brain injury. Cognitive impairment symptoms appear when brain cells can't transmit or receive oxygen via the blood vessels.

Our brains contain neurons that are in constant communication with each other. These 86 billion neurons regulate every aspect of our lives. For example, breathing, digestion, rational thought, and physical movement depend on neurons doing their job.

When plaques and other proteins disrupt the way neurons function, the neurons die. When this happens, critical parts of the brain lose function and, over time, the affected parts of the brain begin to shrink. This loss of brain matter is directly related to loss of cognitive function.

However, some scientists now believe that other cells may take their place when certain brain cells die. For example, in one case of a woman diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia, she lost most of her speech but developed a sudden interest in art and music. This led scientists to believe that neurons responsible for creativity might become more active in a dementia scenario.

Have you ever heard a song and been immediately transported to a part of your past? Recent studies show that listening to or playing music activates our brain's memory and language function.

In some surprising cases, music may also stimulate the brain to create new memories, a process lost in many people with dementia.

Can music improve memory? Dementia researchers who have utilised music therapy have seen that music can affect memory in surprising ways. When they play a person's favourite music, speech and movement can return for a brief time. Some of those with dementia begin to sing or dance, and others can verbally share memories associated with a particular song.

Since speech and singing come from different parts of the brain, music can help with memory loss. Even those who have lost their speech due to a brain injury can communicate by singing their words instead.

Music plays a vital role in everyone's lives. Whether we notice it or not, we hear music almost every day of our lives. In fact, music shapes much of our identity and helps us tell our personal stories.

Some studies show that musicians have a higher volume of brain tissue in the frontal cortex, which is also responsible for verbal memory. The rhythmic patterns of music mimic those of speech. When playing music elicits a verbal response, scientists begin to understand how music wellness works and ways music can improve memory function.

If you have a loved one with dementia, you can try the benefits of music wellness. Keep the music playing at a low volume as often as possible. Then, try to create a personal soundtrack of songs that were popular at various times of their life to see which ones catch their attention.

When you find a song that seems to resonate, start talking. Or, even better, start singing the music or dance with them!

When your loved one responds, it may be in the form of a specific memory. Perhaps the song reminds them of a time they were in love or a particular place like a home or a city.

Using music to activate these memories can help those with dementia feel more connected to reality and the people around them. Music wellness can help with memory loss and offer brief windows of mental clarity.

At Vera, we're committed to showing everyone how music affects memory and the ways music can boost memory and cognition.

Click here to learn more about our story and how Vera’s technology creates a playlist curated especially for your loved one's age and cultural background. Music is a universal language, and we can help remind everyone how to enjoy it.