Singing Showtunes Improve Cognitive Function For Seniors With Dementia

Personal confession time.

I love showtunes. I said it and I am not ashamed. If ever you drive by my home while I am mowing the lawn there is a 92.7% chance that I am minding my turf to strains of West Side Story. When you're a Jet you're a Jet all the way. There is almost always a song in my heart and frequently I feel compelled to share my heart song with those around me. Before today, I could only explain those unexpected songbursts by attempting to claim some rare form of Broadway Turret's. Now, I will sing unabashedly knowing the health benefits which new research proves are brought by singing showtunes.

Researchers at George Mason University conducted a study of two groups of seniors, one group with moderate dementia and another with a more advanced form which required them to be housed in a secured facility. In both groups, tests were administered to ensure that all of the participants in each group were at a similar cognitive level. Vocal music sessions were then held three times a week for 50 minutes at a time where half of the group was encouraged to sing along with songs such as The Sound of Music,  When You Wish Upon A Star, and Somewhere Over the Rainbow while the other half of the group just listened. After the sessions, researchers found that the test scores for the seniors who sang along with the showtunes rose far more dramatically than the scores for the seniors who simply listened.

The implications of this research are obviously profound. I would be interested in seeing further testing done using musical theater pieces of varying difficulty and studying the outcomes. I would theorize that a senior singing along to the brilliantly complex music created by Stephen Sondheim would fare better in the post session testing than a senior singing more simple tunes like those crafted by Andrew Lloyd Webber. I digress.

In conclusion, I would encourage you, dear reader, to crank up the showtunes and belt out the 11 o'clock number of your choice. When those around you look down their noses in disdain, simply look them directly in the eye and try singing this...





For more on the study see below.
http://www.abstractsonline.com/Plan/ViewAbstract.aspx?sKey=c3d1c2d8-065c-4b92-9533-b6e7685ce64a&cKey=72397e83-498c-4e27-a769-81275de1c9f5&mKey={8D2A5BEC-4825-4CD6-9439-B42BB151D1CF}