The authors adapted standard psychological tests of musical recognition and appreciation to use them even in severely demented people. Their research describes an 84 year old lady with severe Alzheimer's disease who sang old songs from her youth, joined-in when music was played to her, and twisted her face when tunes were played wrongly sometimes exclaiming 'oh dear'! The researchers concluded that musical abilities seem to be located in brain regions unaffected by Alzheimer's disease and that demented patients might enjoy living in a more musical environment. The researchers have called for further information from members of the public who have noticed musical appreciation in their demented relatives or friends are invited to e-mail their stories to the authors.
Dr. Horrobin was a prolific clinical scientist, and an incisive philosophical thinker who taught and authored numerous papers and books on topics ranging from lipid biochemistry to orthomolecular medicine. While many different medical areas captured Dr. Horrobin's attention, the common thread woven through all of his work was his interest in active scientific debate. Dr. Horrobin believed that untested theories are just as valuable to medicine, and he wanted to leave the lines of communication open for active discussion, discourse and development - particularly in areas where a general consensus has not yet been est
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Contact: Tanya Wheatley
t.wheatley@elsevier.com
44-186-584-3824
Elsevier
30-Jan-2006