JAPAN: Music Can Save You From Going Cuckoo at Old Age

TOKYO (Agencies/The Economic Times), November 29, 2005: Music can be effective in preventing dementia as people aged 90 or more do not forget songs they remember from childhood even if they become senile. "I am shortly going to publish a book collecting 100 songs for each generation I have surveyed across Japan," said Tatsuhiko Akaboshi, chairman of the Tokyo Music Volunteer Association. For nearly 40 years, he has been treating elderly people with music. "The power of music is strong. It is said to have been scientifically proved, but as a man doing that for a long time, it is known to me as an actual feeling," said Akaboshi, 84, who used to be a professional musician and is still trying to popularise musical treatment by travelling to various parts of Japan. For example, jointly with the Tokyo Metropolitan Geriatric Hospital, Akaboshi carried out music treatment on an 81-year-old female Alzheimer’s patient with an expressionless face. She could not look into other’s eyes and tried to avoid contact with them. The treatment was carried out for one hour, once a week. At first, she was hesitant to sing songs, but began to sing after 10 hours of treatment. She looked straight at the eyes of others and smiled. After 20 hours of treatment, she began to take care of others, confidently moved around and had conversations with others with rich expressions on her face.