Finding Your Muse: Music and Memory in Alzheimer’s Patients

September 1, 2026

Watching a loved one slowly lose pieces of their memory due to Alzheimer’s can be devastating. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, more than 7 million people in the U.S. are affected by this progressive disease, robbing them of critical thinking abilities. A growing body of scientific evidence now suggests that listening to music activates neural regions associated with memory, which is welcome news for Alzheimer’s patients and their caregivers.

Researchers from Monash University in Australia conducted a long-range study of over 10,000 people aged 70 and older and found that listening to music daily reduced the risk of developing dementia by nearly 40%. The group that was followed for 10 years also showed a 33% lower risk of dementia in those who played a musical instrument. “Our study suggests that lifestyle-based interventions, such as listening to and/or playing music, can promote cognitive health,” says Joanne Ryan, senior author of the study and head of the Biological Neuropsychiatry and Dementia research unit at Monash.

How does Alzheimer’s affect the brain?

Alzheimer’s is the most common form of dementia and is characterized by a slow decline in cognitive functioning due to a buildup of tau and amyloid proteins. As the disease progresses, healthy neurons in the brain lose their connections with one another and die, leading to memory loss over time. The disease typically starts in the brain region responsible for memory and ends in the brainstem, affecting critical heart and lung functions. 

Some patients may have difficulty remembering the faces of their loved ones and may find their usual environment confusing and disorienting. For such patients, being exposed to familiar experiences and keeping the brain engaged and active is vital to slow the progress of this irreversible disease. “Personalized music programs can activate the brain, especially for patients who are losing contact with their environment,” says Norman Foster, MD, Director of the Center for Alzheimer’s Care and Imaging Research at the University of Utah Health.

What is the connection between music and memory?

Studies show that music that evokes certain emotions can allow people affected by Alzheimer’s to retrieve forgotten memories, even if the music isn’t relevant to memories they’re failing to recall. When a patient with Alzheimer’s hears familiar music, it unlocks certain memories and emotions. Researchers have discovered that long-term musical memory does not follow the same progression of decline as other cognitive abilities. It is currently unknown why this is the case, and research in this area is ongoing. 

Music stimulates the temporal lobe and limbic system areas of the brain. It is largely observed that the emotions of a memory are better preserved in the mind than the memory itself, which is why music is such an important therapeutic tool for Alzheimer’s patients. By evoking emotional responses, music can allow individuals with Alzheimer’s to access memories that are difficult to recall. 

Many Alzheimer’s patients also tend to suffer from anxiety and agitation, and benefit greatly from the release of endorphins that comes with listening to music. “Just hearing a certain musical piece or singing a song with others that is particularly meaningful to an individual can create strong positive feelings, evoke memories and generate joy,” says Alvaro Pascual-Leone, MD, a professor of neurology at Harvard Medical School.

What are the benefits of music therapy?

Listening to music regularly stimulates parts of the brain related to memory and attention. Familiar music from the affected patient’s past can also improve their recollection. “Music therapy can make a huge difference not only for people living with dementia, but also for the family caregivers supporting them,” says Kathy Siepker, an associate professor at the University of Arlington School of Social Work. 

Siepker helped develop an app for people with Alzheimer’s that uses AI to sense the patient’s mood and plays familiar songs if they appear down or agitated. “Toward the later stages of the disease, patients often sit quietly, withdrawn,” says Siepker. “But when they hear familiar music—songs from their childhood or young adulthood—they often remember all the lyrics, sing along.”

The benefits of music therapy include:

• Relaxation
• Reduced anxiety and stress levels
• Mood regulation
• Improved memory 
• Better coping skills
• Mood regulation
• Improved communication skills
• Reduced sense of pain

How to find and apply music therapy?

If you or your loved ones are ready to look for a licensed music therapist, refer to the Certification Board for Music Therapists to find one in your area. Alternatively, caregivers can use some of the strategies below to incorporate music into the lives of their loved ones living with Alzheimer’s:

• Create a playlist on Spotify, YouTube, or a related app of familiar songs from a time your loved one can recall. 
• If they are fond of different genres, make separate playlists and use them at different times.
• Periodically update the list to expand the collection based on their reactions, since not all songs evoke joyful memories.
• Buy them a pair of wireless noise-canceling headphones for listening. This would allow them to be part of social gatherings where they feel like they are with family, but also need music to orient themselves.
• Remind them to listen to music when they feel anxious, confused, or agitated.
• Keep music accessible to them at all times.

World Alzheimer’s Day is observed each year on September 21. It serves as a reminder to us to raise awareness about Alzheimer’s disease and focus on ways to improve the lives of our loved ones living with this and related conditions.