Alzheimer's disease must be an incredibly frustrating event in a person's life for themselves as well as the people around them. Having such an excellent memory, I couldn't think of anything worse than not being able to remember loved one's faces and life's experiences. Last night ABC 2 screened the documentary Alzheimer's: The Musical about dementia and Alzheimer sufferers from Bristol who are part of the 'Singing for the Brain' Group, which meets once a week. It was both sad and uplifting to see these people who had trouble remembering what they had previously said, which room they slept in, or in identifying a photo of their spouse, however, had little difficulty in recalling song words. Apparently singing unlocks the brain of the Alzheimer sufferer and this is excellent news for those who otherwise are caught in a process in which their brain cells are dying at an accelerated rate. It's well known that singing releases endorphins - the feel good chemical in the brain, so perhaps we should all make a note to ourselves to sing at least once a day, by ourselves or with others. Remembering to do so may be the hardest part.
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