New podcast explores how dementia patients experience music

Every year nearly 10 million people develop dementia worldwide. That’s one diagnosis every three seconds. In 2012 the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared dementia a global public health priority.

Could music therapy play a role in enhancing the lives of people living with dementia? Dr Orii McDermott certainly thinks so.

The auditory system is actually the first part of the human brain to develop, functioning at just 16 weeks in-utero. That means that we, as humans, are receptive to music before almost anything else. It’s an incredibly deeply rooted human ability. And so, it makes sense that there is a connection with music and our memory.

“Music is very much about connecting with people, connecting with the external world.” – Dr Orii McDermott

This is something that researchers have been exploring since the 1970s but, as a practicing music therapist, Orii became frustrated that she could not fully understand the experience of her dementia patients when she played music to them. Many people suffering with dementia cannot communicate their experiences effectively – so how do we know how that person experiences music?

That became the “personal driving force” behind Orii becoming a researcher, as she strove to develop a way to help clinicians measure how their dementia patients experienced music, in order to improve their day-to-day lives. What began as a personal research project went on to have an impact way beyond her own clinical practice, and beyond what she could ever have anticipated.

“My PhD was driven by my frustration that there aren’t good enough measures to capture the experiences of people with dementia.” – Dr Orii McDermott

The first episode of new podcast series, How Researchers Changed the World, delves deeper into the importance of music therapy for people with dementia, telling the story behind Dr Orii McDermott’s ground-breaking research on this subject.

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The podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher and Android podcast providers – or head to http://www.howresearchers.com.

For more information, or to interview Dr Orii McDermott, please contact: [email protected]

Presented by Dr Kaitlyn Regehr

Alongside the researcher, the podcast is presented by Dr Kaitlyn Regehr. Dr Kaitlyn Regehr is an academic scholar who specializes in digital and modern culture, gender studies, and new technology. She also regularly features on BBC World as a topic specialist.

12-week learning programs – supercharge your research career Alongside the podcast are two 12-week learning programs for early and mid-career researchers. They’re delivered online, with one chapter by email each week. Over 12 weeks these chapters build into an indispensable guide.

The early career program covers everything you need to know to get your research published and build your profile as a researcher. The mid-career program is the go-to-guide for managing mid-career challenges, boosting the impact of your research, and enhancing your profile as a researcher.

Supported by Taylor & Francis Group

Taylor & Francis Group are proud to support How Researchers Changed the World.

As one of the world’s leading publishers of scholarly journals, books, eBooks, and reference works, Taylor & Francis Group provides people all over the world with the knowledge to grow their careers, expand their education, and advance their field.

Challenge your thinking at http://www.tandfonline.com

Produced by Monchü

The How Researchers series is written and produced by Monchü. They work with world changing organisations to make the world a fairer happier place with strategy and design thinking.

Find out more at http://www.monchu.uk