Singing in a chorus may do more than make beautiful music.
For people in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease and dementia, learning to sing new songs and then perform in concert, alongside a family member or friend, could improve memory, self-esteem and mood.
That's what New York University brain and aging researcher Mary Mittelman believes after undertaking a pilot chorus program with 10 couples pairing a person with dementia and a family caregiver or close friend.
And with a two-year, $80,000 grant from the Helen Bader Foundation to the NYU School of Medicine, a similar pilot chorus program will be started in Milwaukee, only the second city to test Mittelman's innovative program.
The chorus grant was just one of $830,000 in grants awarded by the Bader Foundation this week to address Alzheimer's and aging in the state and, in particular, in Milwaukee's underserved African-American community.
African-Americans have almost double the risk of developing Alzheimer's than whites, according to new research from the Journal of the American Medical Association.
"We're not sure why there's a greater risk in the African-American community," said Mark Sager, director of the Wisconsin Alzheimer's Institute in Madison. It could be higher incidence of diabetes and hypertension, social or economic reasons, or a variety of factors, he said.
One of the goals of the institute is to increase outreach in the African-American community in Milwaukee to increase awareness and early treatment, he said. To do that, the Bader Foundation awarded a separate two-year, $231,000 grant to the University of Wisconsin Foundation to support the institute's outreach and program services in Milwaukee, specifically in the African-American community.
It's estimated that nearly half of those African-Americans living with Alzheimer's are not diagnosed and many are not receiving proper treatment, said Gina Green-Harris, Milwaukee outreach and program services director in Milwaukee for the Alzheimer's Institute.
In addition to outreach, the programs will include the first minority-specific memory clinic and research.
Other smaller grants were made to a variety of organizations, many to support arts programs to organizations that work with older adults.
"The foundation is interested in creativity and the arts in all of our program areas, but especially in our aging and Alzheimer's programs," said Helen Ramon, program manager for the foundation's efforts to address Alzheimer's and aging. Research shows that arts programs stimulate the brain and enhance the quality of life for the person and the caregiver in nonpharmaceutical ways, she said.
Because of that, the NYU chorus program caught the attention of Ramon.
"We've been working with NYU for a year to make sure it's a good fit, and we think it will be great," she said.
Mittelman, the director of the Psychosocial Research and Support Program at the Comprehensive Center on Brain and Aging at NYU, said she began the chorus with 10 people with Alzheimer's or dementia and their caregivers. They attended rehearsals once a week for 13 weeks.
"These are not sing-a-longs," she said. The chorus members practice with conductor-directors and musical professionals who work with them on breathing, vocalization and performance, just like any other chorus, Mittelman said.
The New York chorus named itself "The Unforgettables," and learned 20 new songs, such as "Fly Me to the Moon," and "Smile." Most had no previous musical training, she said. Three members sang solos.
"Over time, they got better and better and it was obvious to me when you watch and hear them how much pleasure they were having being together and making music together," she said.
So often research talks about the negative effects of dementia, but this is an example of an intervention that can provide pleasure for the person and family members, Mittelman said.
While it was a small number of people, those who participated showed improvements in self-esteem, mood and possibly memory, she said.
The group has since performed five concerts and it's scheduled for another April 27. At one concert, the chorus received a standing ovation.
The chorus in Milwaukee has not yet been formed. Participants will be selected from the African-American community, Sager said. And they will work with trained conductors and music professionals to make music.
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