New research on music and learning in Alzheimer's

A Special Update for you From BU
Thank you for attending the screening of “I Remember Better When I Paint.” This beautiful documentary highlighted the impact of art therapy for patients with Alzheimer’s disease. At Boston University School of Medicine we continue to conduct research on the disease working toward early diagnosis, better treatment, and ultimately a cure for this devastating disease. We thought you might be interested in a few recent research highlights:
Music and MemoryRecently researchers have shown that patients with Alzheimer’s disease are better able to remember new verbal information when it is provided in the context of music even when compared to healthy older adults. Alzheimer’s disease patients and healthy controls were presented with either the words spoken or the lyrics sung with full musical accompaniment along with the printed lyrics on a computer screen. After each presentation, participants were asked to indicate whether or not they were previously familiar with the song they had just heard. The Boston University School of Medicine researchers found accuracy was greater in the sung condition than in the spoken condition for Alzheimer’s disease patients. However, for healthy older adults, there was no difference in accuracy whether the lyrics were sung or spoken. According to the researchers understanding the nature of musical processing and memory in patients with Alzheimer’s disease may allow the development of effective and comprehensive therapies for this increasingly prevalent disease.
The Eyes Have ItA team of researchers led by Dr. Lee Goldstein of Boston University School of Medicine has discovered that the protein that forms plaques in the brain in Alzheimer’s disease also accumulates in the eyes of people with Down syndrome. The new findings show that the toxic protein causes Alzheimer’s pathology in the brain also leads to distinctive cataracts in the eyes. This discovery is leading researchers to develop an innovative eye test for early detection of Alzheimer’s pathology in both disorders.
These are just two examples of the exciting research ongoing at Boston University School of Medicine Alzheimer’s Disease Center. We cannot do all that we do without the support we receive from our alumni and friends. We hope you might consider partnering with the BU Alzheimer’s Disease Center with a philanthropic gift. Your support will enable the researchers and clinicians to continue their pursuit in finding a cure.
Gifts can be made online at: http://alumni.bu.edu/links/link.cgi?
Harriet Kornfeld, BUSM Development, 72 E. Concord Street L219, Boston, MA 02118. If you have any questions, feel free to call Harriet Kornfeld directly at 617-638-5676.
Thank you,
The Faculty and Staff of the Boston University Alzheimer’s Disease Center