The Person Still Comes First: The Continuing Musical Self in Dementia

Journal

Journal of Consciousness Studies

Year

2006

Volume

13

Issue

3

First Page

73

Last Page

93

Abstract

It is well known anecdotally that, for many people in dementia, the appreciation of music outlasts other faculties. Could the residual musicality constitute a 'musical self, an enduring fragment of the person that the sufferer used to be? The question, as far we know, has not been raised before. Towards formulating the hypothesis, this article examines some of the available research and theorizing concerning the self and the neurology of music and dementia. A unified neurocognitive 'musical self' system seems plausible, though at present the evidence is sketchy. Social-relational aspects of both selfhood and musical experience are also considered, and a case history is presented so as to highlight their importance for understanding the complex relationship between music, dementia, and selfhood. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved)

Music and Health Institute Terms

Alzheimer's and Related Dementias; Music and Cognition; Neurodegenerative Disorders; Self-Concept

Indexed Terms

musical self; dementia; musical experience; selfhood; Self-Concept

Study Type

Editorial, Opinions, Position Papers

Disciplines

Neurology

Document Type

Article

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