Vera is a music wellness platform that seeks to ease or prevent certain symptoms of brain ageing.
Music has many benefits for people of all ages! Vera, however, specifically utilizes the benefits that can have the greatest impact on the effects of brain ageing, including the symptoms of associated brain diseases such as dementia and Alzheimer’s.
We have separated the symptoms into three different categories - Stress, Memory, and Mood & Movement - as these are the three different effects that have the biggest impact on our members’ day-to-day lives!
To help ease or prevent the symptoms of brain ageing, we separate our music into three different music stations or “playlists” to target each of the symptoms listed above.
By combining the music that the listener loves with the music that they would have listened to growing up, we categorise the songs and artists from their life and separate them into our three “vibe-based” music stations.
This maximises the effects of each of our music stations in empowering the listener as they do certain activities, like Relaxing, Reminiscing, or Energising.
Let’s dive into each of the three music stations!
STRESS - Relax
Our bodies are well equipped to handle stress in small doses, but when that stress becomes long-term or chronic, it can have serious effects on the body and mind. Stress can come from significant events such as trauma or negative experiences, but stress can also come from the sounds we are exposed to in the environment around us.
Stress can increase as our brain declines - our ability to process new information slows down, and it can leave us irritated, worried and aware that we aren’t able to look after ourselves like we once could.
Stress can be managed through appropriate music that can activate the parasympathetic nervous system, which helps reduce our cortisol levels (the stress hormone).
The sympathetic nervous system prepares the body for “fight or flight”, and puts our body in a stressed and alert state. This is done by significantly increasing the hormone levels of cortisol and adrenaline in our bodies for a short period of time. The parasympathetic nervous system allows the body to “rest and digest”, by bringing these hormones back to a normal level.
Sympathetic neurons release norepinephrine onto target organs; parasympathetic neurons release acetylcholine.
In the ‘Relax’ music station, listeners can expect to hear calmer, slower music that makes them want to sit back in a reclining chair in the sun, close their eyes and listen to the sounds of nature around them. For carers, this music station is great for when your patient is looking to wind down for the evening, or after a strenuous activity.
Genres that specifically lend themselves to Relax include Classical, Musical and Reggae.
MEMORY - Reminisce
This is where the magic of Vera happens!
’Reminisce’ is specifically trying to find the songs from a listener’s past that they would have listened to on the radio or that they’ve seen at a record store. Reminisce heavily leans itself into the information you fill out about the listener in onboarding about where they grew up, to find what music was playing on the charts at the time. This is so we can match that data with their favourite artists and genres, to paint a pretty good picture of the music that they had on repeat at the time.
In Reminisce, listeners can expect to hear songs that they don’t recognise the name of, but as soon as the track starts playing they remember it and can sing the chorus, or maybe even the whole song!
If we’re not quite spot on and the listener doesn’t recognise every single song, don’t worry! The music might not be familiar, but it is still tailored to them, and they might find that they quite enjoy it regardless. Reminisce is truly the “gift box” music station of Vera - you never know what you might find inside but it’s going to be a good time regardless!
Neuroplasticity is the ability of the brain to change and adapt as a result of experience. The brain is made up of around 100 billion neurons, each with thousands of connections to each other. The organisation of these connections encodes all of our thoughts, habits, memories and much more. From birth, this organisation constantly changes - and as we get older, the brain naturally starts to optimise these connections by discarding the ones that are no longer active.
Still, studies have shown there is no age limit to neuroplasticity or the ability for the brain to learn new information and create new neural pathways. Playing a musical instrument or listening to the right music is a surefire way to activate and strengthen the synaptic connections in the brain.
Studies have also shown the areas associated with long-term music memory can largely remain unaffected by the various forms of cognitive decline such as Alzheimer’s. When activating this part of the brain, it can continue to create synaptic connections with other areas of the brain that might be working less optimally.
Take a look at the perfect example, Marta the Ballerina, in this video that went viral recently!
MOOD & MOVEMENT - Energise
As we age, our brain naturally produces less of key neurotransmitters like Dopamine. This neurochemical is responsible for the messaging service between the body and the brain, how we experience pleasure and joy, as well as motivation.
Studies have shown the benefits that athletes experience when they include music in their training and preparation. “When the brain is listening to music, it lights up like a Christmas tree... it’s an ideal stimulus because it reaches [parts of the brain] that can’t easily be reached.” - Costas I. Karageorghis, Professor of Sport & Exercise Psychology, Brunel University London.
Karageorghis’ findings show that syncing the tempo of the music to an athlete’s heart rate can have powerful outcomes, such as improved stamina, speed and athletic performance.
These benefits are great for those living with brain ageing too, as the right music can help increase the pleasure centres of the brain as well as the messaging service between the brain and the rest of the body.
In ‘Energise’, listeners can expect to hear the songs that will get them out of bed in the morning, put a bright big smile on their face and help them go about their day. For carers, this music station is great before or during activities, such as eating, showering, or going for a walk.
The genres that really lend themselves to Energise are Pop, Rock and Jazz, though you’ll find aspects of all musical genres in this music station!
If you’d like to learn a little bit more about neuroscience, below are some great publications on the topic!