A live concert and lecture series designed specifically for people with neurocognitive disorders improved participants' emotional well-being, intellectual stimulation, and social interaction, according to research from Northwestern University.

The program, called the Musical Museum, was created by the Northwestern Music and Medicine Program to give people with dementia an alternative to traditional educational classes, which many avoid out of fear of not being able to keep up. Sessions run about an hour and combine both familiar and unfamiliar music with verbal introductions that provide historical and musical context. Events draw an average of 50 attendees, and receptions after each concert are designed to encourage social interaction.

Participants in the study attended 11 sessions spanning genres including bossa nova, jazz, and baroque, each built around a theme connecting philosophical concepts, such as love, loss, and time, with culturally significant periods for older adults, notably the 1960s and 1970s. Via surveys, participants reported high satisfaction and significantly improved mood following sessions.

"This program provided peace, relaxation and occasionally a cathartic release of tears," one participant reported. Another called it "a wonderful opportunity to expand our contacts with individuals undergoing similar experiences," while a third said, "I especially loved the historical context about the pieces. It made me appreciate the new pieces more and understand the ones I already knew more."

"Music stays intact for a long time for dementia patients, so the Musical Museum is a very good way for them to emotionally regulate and provide intellectual and cognitive stimulation," said Borna Bonakdarpour, MD, director of the Northwestern Music and Medicine Program and the study's corresponding author. Bonakdarpour is a classically trained pianist who performs in many of the concerts. He developed the Musical Museum with study author Clara Takarabe during the COVID-19 pandemic to continue enrichment for isolated patients with dementia.

The program also gives families and clinicians a chance to see patients outside a clinical setting,” Bonakdarpour said. "It's common for individuals with dementia to isolate because they might feel nervous or embarrassed, especially if their language has declined, so this is a great way to get them out.”

To download the full study, published in Frontiers in Neurology, click here