Singing can calm agitation suffered by dementia sufferers, new NHS trial has found
Singing can calm the excitement of around 90 per cent of people with dementia, a new NHS study has found
- About 90 percent of the one million dementia patients in the UK experience agitation
- Researchers at Anglia Ruskin University found that making music calms behavior
Singing songs and beating a drum can help tackle one of the most challenging symptoms of dementia, a landmark NHS study has found.
In addition to memory problems and confusion, about 90 percent of the one million dementia patients in the UK experience agitation, which includes periods of yelling, shoving and spitting.
This is because the brain damage caused by the disease can make sufferers aggressive and prone to violent and destructive behaviors.
But researchers at Anglia Ruskin University found that helping them make music and sing reduced incidents of agitation by three-quarters.
Patients on two dementia wards in Cambridge and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust received weekly music therapy for 14 weeks, which included singing well-known songs and playing percussion instruments.
Researchers at Anglia Ruskin University found that helping dementia patients make music and sing reduced incidents of agitation by three-quarters
The sessions were led by a trained dementia therapist, and researchers found that agitation occurred on less than one in 10 days with music therapy, compared to one in three without.
Now the same Trust is going to start a large pilot to offer regular music therapy to demented patients. Concerned experts believe it could help reduce the number of dementia patients who have to take powerful sedative drugs to ease their anxiety.
“Sedative drugs are often given to a person with dementia when they are distressed, but this is far from ideal as research suggests that sedatives increase the risk of falls and death,” says Dr Ming Hung Hsu, senior research fellow at the Anglia Ruskin University and principal investigator of the trial.
“These results provide us with a platform to explore ways to use music therapy to better meet the needs of patients on psychiatric dementia wards.”
Around one in four NHS hospital beds are occupied by dementia patients, and studies show that anxiety or agitation occurs on average 120 days a year on wards with dementia, which can affect both patient treatment and staff well-being.
‘Agitation can be very distressing for patients, families and staff, and current interventions are limited,’ says Dr Ben Underwood, director of research and development at the Cambridge and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust.
“All the early evidence suggests that music could be a powerful and enjoyable tool. I’m very excited to see this work progressing.”