嗅觉可能是与记忆联系最紧密的感官，但听觉也正朝着这个方向迈出一大步。
纪录片《活力永存》（Alive Inside）将于下周在纽约首映，影片讲述了一位社工在养老院尝试与患有痴呆症和阿尔茨海默病的年长者互动的故事。当他发现这种方法效果显著后，便邀请了神经学家奥利弗·萨克斯（Oliver Sacks）加入，两人共同开展了一项实验，探索音乐对这类人群的影响。
上面的视频迅速走红，越来越多的人发现了它，这并不奇怪——人们与音乐，特别是与年轻时的音乐之间的联系，会引发强烈的情感，一些研究人员甚至认为这是人们的必需品。
美国舒美艺术委员会顾问委员会成员雷·穆勒告诉《心理学101》杂志：“研究已经发现，大脑中特定的活动区域与对音乐的情感反应有关。音乐似乎是人类的一种需求，而大脑能够发挥作用来满足这种需求。”
对于老年人群体来说，音乐与各种益处都有关联，从帮助阿尔茨海默病患者找回记忆到减少运动中的跌倒。
该视频也与“音乐与记忆”组织有关，该组织致力于帮助老年人与音乐建立联系，包括收集旧 iPod 进行捐赠。
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Arlen, you're a lovely example of the kind of "vibrational" nonsense that surrounds our culture today. Music is about emotion, the soul, not vibrations, not some mystical "energy" that "puts organs in tune".
Music is frankly MUCH too important to be subjected to this sort of shallow New Age silliness! BTW I named my son after Oliver Sacks. You'd do well to pay attention to his teachings.
I lead drum circles in nursing homes and day care centers. I have 20 small drums and each person drums which creates a vibration which goes in the ears and vibrates the water around the brain, the spinal column and every organ. One vibration creates another and help put organs into their proper tune. Listening to music is great but drumming gentle drum strokes and singing old songs...Alzheimer's always remember the songs...is even a more powerful healing.
I invite each to use their own voice...to hum, to tone and finally to laugh. That creates the highest energy of the day. With meditation, it can lower blood pressure, stress and put people to sleep.
It is surprising how music touches life. I really enjoy music when am sad there are some tpye and when am happy there is a type. Emotional music helps me get a little strength.
I don't enjoy classic and I become like the singer if the music interests me. May God help the man.
I worked at a nursing home for a year doing my postdoc hours. It was a home filled with a lot of dementia, depression and sadness. I started a music group. Each week, I would play music from the residents' era of growing up. At first, I only had one or two attendees. Soon, the room was full (and the staff was hanging out at the door)! The residents sang, shared memories and came alive. It was such a blessing to be a part of it all! Music really does touch a place inside that brings people alive!
What a wonderful story! Music is so powerful! I have experienced it in my own way when my mother, who is a stroke patient, called and sang happy birthday to me on my answering machine. Her voice was as strong and clear as ever, and I cherish that memory. I encourage everyone to use music as a way to reconnect, you never know what you can awaken in someone special!