I just now saw a report on the Wall Street Journal website related to the use of music therapy in dementia patients. The writing said that one of the criticisms of music playback devices is that people who use them have a tendency to avoid friendships with other people and stay in an isolated universe of their own. However, recent studies of stroke and Alzheimer's patients are revealing that iPods and other MP3 players oftentimes have the contrary impact.

By listening to some old often encountered music, advanced Alzheimer's patients can link back with their memories and with others in some unexpected ways, especially for people with degenerative brain conditions. As an example, as stated by the Journal, listening to rap and reggae on a borrowed iPod every day prompted a 28-year-old stroke victim to start to walking and make use of his hands again.

In another instance, a 52 year-old man who fell out of a fourth-floor construction site and suffered a crushed larynx became so charmed with music that he has written 400 songs and made four albums. An 85-year-old dementia patient in Florida listens to her beloved opera and Yiddish songs each day on an iPod with a home health aide or her daughter when she drops by. According to her daughter they listen for somewhere around one-half hour a day and "It seems to touch something deep within her."

Caregivers have known for many years that music therapy in dementia patients can be very effective. They have observed for decades that Alzheimer's sufferers can still remember and sing songs long after they have stopped recalling names and faces. Hospitals and aging care facilities have been using music as recreation for a long time, because it brings patients pleasure. Furthermore, beyond the entertainment value, there is significant evidence that listening to music can also help improve apparently lost memories, and even help rehabilitate cognitive function in some cases. (via IPod Therapy for Alzheimer's Patients, WSJ.com)

As a senior citizen myself I am a big fan of iPods and similar devices for senior citizens. I myself have an iPhone, which is pretty much an iPod with a phone built into it. I am conscious that many of you will be doubtful because you think such devices are too complicated for seniors. However, as research as shown, using complicated devices can be quite effectual in slowing memory loss due to aging. Now we have determined that the musical capabilities can be helpful even for those who have already experienced memory loss.

Well, okay, you might decline to actually leave an iPod in the hands of a person who is experiencing dementia, but such a device can certainly be used, under supervision, to provide the kinds of music therapy in dementia patients set out in this article. Technology can be amazing for those who are willing to be imaginative and discerning in applying its use. IPod music therapy in dementia patients is a classic illustration.