Overview

Providing a range of perspectives from music practitioners, researchers, and people with lived experience of dementia, this comprehensive volume offers the latest research into music for people with dementia. Amidst growing concern over public health resourcing and an aging population, the book explores how the familiar tool of music has been used to ameliorate dementia symptoms and improve quality of life, presenting insights from music therapy, neurology, and the practice of delivering and evaluating music interventions. Written by leading international researchers in the field, the chapters look at key frameworks and current science to explore a range of settings, such as the impact of music in care homes and hospitals, community singing initiatives, and in-home environments, as well as providing up-to-date research. The chapters take a novel approach, guided by the experiences of music practitioners, scientists, and researchers. Anchoring scientific knowledge on music and the brain in relation to dementia and cognitive decline to current practice, the book will appeal to scholars, researchers, and postgraduate students in the fields of gerontology and aging, dementia care, and music therapy. Practitioners, therapists, and healthcare professionals involved with music and older people, as well as music for those with dementia, may also benefit from the volume.

Full Product Details

Author:   Becky Dowson (Cambridge Institute for Music Therapy Research, UK) ,  Justine Schneider (University of Nottingham, UK)
Publisher:   Taylor & Francis Ltd
Imprint:   Routledge
Weight:   0.590kg
ISBN:  

9781032949345

ISBN 10:   1032949341
Pages:   220
Publication Date:   07 April 2026
Audience:   College/higher education ,  Professional and scholarly ,  Postgraduate, Research & Scholarly ,  Professional & Vocational
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   In Print  
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Table of Contents

Introduction Section 1: Context Introduction Becky Dowson 1. Music and dementia in the public consciousness and its relevance to research Becky Dowson 2. Community singing as a resource in dementia Zara Thompson, Jeannette Tamplin 3 An overview of the impact of music-based interventions in congregate settings for people living with dementia Jelena Golubovic, Martina de Witte & Felicity Baker 4 What does music therapy offer to people living with dementia? A synthesis of case studies Becky Dowson 5 The importance of psychodynamic thinking in music therapy with people with Dementia Rachel Darnley Smith 6 Hearing loss, dementia and musical engagement: key considerations Emma Broome, Emily Woodmansey & Lena Batra Section 2: Methods Introduction Becky Dowson and Justine Schneider 7 The impossibility of equipoise in research on music and dementia Justine Schneider 8 Neuropsychological and neuroimaging study of physical exercise with music accompaniment for dementia prevention: the Mihama-Kiho project Masayuki Satoh 9 Technological innovations in research and practice – EEG Neurometrics, and hyperscanning data in music therapy Jorg Fachner & Clemens Maidhof 10 Reporting Guidelines for Music-Based Interventions Checklist: Explanation and Elaboration Guide Sheri Robb, K. Maya Story, Elizabeth Harman, Debra S. Burns, Joke Bradt, Emmeline Edwards, Tasha Golden, Christian Gold, John. R. Iversen, Assal Habibi, Julene K. Johnson, Miriam Lense, Susan M. Perkins 11 Designing Impactful Music-based Intervention Studies: The National Institutes of Health Music Based Interventions (NIH MBI) Toolkit Emmeline Edwards, Wen Chen, Coryse St. Hillaire-Clarke, Melinda Kelley, Kaitlin Heimke Kirkpatrick, Caroline Sferrazza Section 3: Impact Introduction Justine Schneider 12 Inspiring caregivers in India to embed music into the culture of caregiving through Music Helps’ accessible training Elsa Hariades, Alexia Quin, Nina Cherla, Pavithra Gangadharan 13 Training caregivers: music therapy skill sharing and building capacity Orii McDermott 14 Challenges to the implementation of music research in practice Ming Hung Hsu 15 Embedding musical care in everyday settings Bev Foster 16 Delivering the power of music strategically: what policymakers and planners need to know Grace Meadows

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Author Information

Becky Dowson is a postdoctoral research fellow at the Cambridge Institute for Music Therapy Research, UK, and a music therapist at Chiltern Music Therapy. Justine Schneider is Emerita Professor of Mental Health and Social Care at the School of Sociology and Social Policy, University of Nottingham, UK.

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