Title |
Memory for Music in Alzheimer’s Disease: Unforgettable?
|
---|---|
Published in |
Neuropsychology Review, February 2009
|
DOI | 10.1007/s11065-009-9085-2 |
Pubmed ID | |
Authors |
Amee Baird, Séverine Samson |
Abstract |
The notion that memory for music can be preserved in patients with Alzheimer's Disease (AD) has been raised by a number of case studies. In this paper, we review the current research examining musical memory in patients with AD. In keeping with models of memory described in the non-musical domain, we propose that various forms of musical memory exist, and may be differentially impaired in AD, reflecting the pattern of neuropathological changes associated with the condition. Our synthesis of this literature reveals a dissociation between explicit and implicit musical memory functions. Implicit, specifically procedural musical memory, or the ability to play a musical instrument, can be spared in musicians with AD. In contrast, explicit musical memory, or the recognition of familiar or unfamiliar melodies, is typically impaired. Thus, the notion that music is unforgettable in AD is not wholly supported. Rather, it appears that the ability to play a musical instrument may be unforgettable in some musicians with AD. |
X Demographics
Geographical breakdown
Country | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
United States | 3 | 43% |
United Kingdom | 2 | 29% |
Australia | 1 | 14% |
Unknown | 1 | 14% |
Demographic breakdown
Type | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Members of the public | 7 | 100% |
Mendeley readers
Geographical breakdown
Country | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
France | 5 | 2% |
Germany | 3 | <1% |
United States | 3 | <1% |
United Kingdom | 2 | <1% |
Japan | 2 | <1% |
Taiwan | 1 | <1% |
Colombia | 1 | <1% |
Italy | 1 | <1% |
Spain | 1 | <1% |
Other | 0 | 0% |
Unknown | 313 | 94% |
Demographic breakdown
Readers by professional status | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Student > Bachelor | 68 | 20% |
Student > Ph. D. Student | 59 | 18% |
Student > Master | 58 | 17% |
Researcher | 27 | 8% |
Professor | 13 | 4% |
Other | 51 | 15% |
Unknown | 56 | 17% |
Readers by discipline | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Psychology | 119 | 36% |
Neuroscience | 31 | 9% |
Medicine and Dentistry | 28 | 8% |
Agricultural and Biological Sciences | 21 | 6% |
Arts and Humanities | 18 | 5% |
Other | 49 | 15% |
Unknown | 66 | 20% |