The Beauty in Music Therapy

On this ride, I will be talking to you about an amazing documentary titled, "Alive Inside". I watched the documentary on a website called IMDb. I was brought to tears several times while watching it.  It brings you into the life of individuals battling Alzheimer's disease/dementia, along with several other conditions, and how music therapy enlightens their world. It takes them back to memories that they have not been able to recall in years. An amazing social worker, Dan, sees the true beauty of music and how it can benefit individuals battling with neurological conditions. I believe that it is sad music therapy is not considered an intervention or reimbursed, even with evidence and research backing it up. Hopefully soon though, this will be changed with a lot more people like Dan in the world.

The first person they showed was a man named Henry. One of the things he said after he listened to his music was, "I didn't know I could talk so much." This goes to show how music brings people so in tune with themselves, and it helps recall memories and times that those battling dementia never thought they could get back. You would see the people featured go from lifeless, non-verbal to joyful, dancing, and actively engaging in conversation with other once they got their iPods and headphones on. It made me so happy to see them feel normal again. I would really get excited when I knew the songs they were playing, and I would sing along with the documentary. 

Music is an outside stimulation that triggers multiple parts of the brain, and individuals of all ages can benefit from the use of music therapy. Coordination is done so by the cerebellum, and it is where we are able to process music and put it with our body movements. Luckily, the cerebellum is one of the last places that dementia affects. Therefore, music helps retrieve those encoded memories. You can remember what was happening in your life when a certain song came out. It can help you remember emotions and people that made you feel connected to that song. It was mentioned how music has the ability to activate more parts of the brain than any other stimulus. It proves that neuroplasticity is very much so real, allowing people to make new connections to music and learning songs again. You witnessed people go from being stiff in the bed and not opening their eyes, to seeing them have movement in their entire body. How can one not see music therapy is amazing and everyone should have access to it?

I have gained so much respect for individuals that go out of their way to give geriatrics a somewhat normal life. I want to go into nursing homes and play music for the residents. I want to be the reason someone remembers some of life's most precious moments. I am going to do my best to spread the word about this amazing documentary. It is something I believe everyone should watch, even it is just the first 15 minutes. It is so worth it. I now have one more intervention, that I will keep with me forever, under my belt that I can use with my future clients. After all, every person deserves to feel like they are cared and loved for. Being in a nursing home should not feel like your world has ended. We need to make a change in making those individuals feel human again. Huge thank you to Dr. Lancaster for sharing this amazing resource.

P.S. This documentary was once on Netflix, but it must have been removed. I accessed it on IMDb by logging in with my Google account. It was free and the quality is great. 10/10 recommendation to watch it.

Alive Inside: A Story of Music and Memory. (2014, October 18). https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2593392/.

Protecting Our Brain

Hello! Welcome back on the ride with me. Today, I will be discussing what I gained from a TED Talk by a neuropsychologist, Kim Gorgens. The title of the TED Talk is, "Protecting the Brain Against Concussion." I chose this topic due to fact that we have been discussing acquired brain injuries in class, and how prevention can go a long way. I want to work with pediatrics, and this is mainly the area she discusses. She begins by telling the audience on how she has a son, and her main job is to keep him protected being that he is an only child and needs to be able to take care of her in the future. One statistic that stood out to me is how over 4 million people incur a concussion every year. She then goes on to compare the various amounts of force that are acquired with a car crash, a blow to the face by a professional boxer, and a high schooler being hit head on causing his helmet to come off. The amount of force increased with each, with the football tackle being at 103 Gs. That is a lot of force being taken to the head, and I cannot imagine how terrible that would feel and the lifelong effects it may have. She mentioned how, "High school athletes are 3x more likely to suffer from a catastrophic injury" (Gorgens, 2010). It has me wondering if I ever want my kids to be involved in sports. It is honestly a scary thing to think about.

She leaves the crowd with 3 things that they can do to guarantee safety for kids. The first thing she said to do is study up. Learn about the things that are happening around, that way you can be educated on those situations. The next thing she said to do is to speak up. Speak up to your child's coaches in asking what equipment is required, how up-to-date is it, when are they required to wear it, etc. She also mentioned how you should speak with your legislators on the requirement of safety gear, especially if it is something you care about. Use your voice for helping save the next child. The last thing she said to do is gear up. Put a helmet on. It may seem so simple, but it could save you from losing a lifetime of knowledge that may come with a brain injury. A helmet can help reduce the impact of a fall by up to half. By me knowing how quickly you life could change by not taking the necessary precautions, I am 100% for wearing a helmet. I have been using roller skates lately, and soon want to transition to skating outside. Before I do that, I will make sure that I have the appropriate helmet to ensure that I will be safe in doing so. Her talk was so very simple and to the point, but it was also very informative and I believe that others should take 10 minutes out of their day to listen to it. A concussion could happen at any time and any place. The only things we as humans can do is to simply prepare as best as possible, while also taking the necessary precautions to do so. #WearAHelmet :)

Gorgens, K. (2010). Protecting the brain against concussion. TED Talks. https://www.ted.com/talks/kim_gorgens_protecting_the_brain_against_concussion

A Mini Dive into Tourette Syndrome

I chose to watch a TED Talk about the neurological condition, Tourette Syndrome, titled "Tourette Does the Talking" by Thomas White. I have always heard of Tourette, but never saw a video or even met anyone with it. I have heard people reference to it in a joking matter. It was not until I was on TikTok, a few days ago, and saw a girl posting about her tics. I was very much so intrigued, and with this assignment coming up, I figured why not do it on Tourette to gain more insight into what it really is. 

The TED Talk features a college student who is simply bringing us into a day of his life with what he called an "unrelenting neurological assault"(TEDx Talks, 2014). That itself makes me feel as though the condition is truly a battle and it is hard. He mentioned how it was a fight that he may lose during his presentation, due to his tics being uncontrollable. He talked about how his coordination and control are impacted due to the chemical imbalance Tourette cause, which in turn puts a hinder on his day-to-day life. He cannot take a shower without throwing shampoo and body wash bottle, with some even breaking. He suffers from Coprolalia, the involuntary use of cursing, which not many suffer from with Tourette Syndrome. Interesting enough, I have never heard of that term and did a Google search to read more about it. Applying what I have learned from Neurobiology and Neuro Aspects, I believe that the frontal lobe is impaired by this condition. It is responsible for your filter on the things you say and do. It is also responsible for your impulse control, and he mentioned how sometimes he will pretend to vomit on kids or hit older women on their behind. I think that it is sad because a lot of people, like myself, do not know much about Tourette and may find it as an insult, when in reality a person really cannot control themselves. It is going to take for everyone to want to know more to be able to be kind and understanding of the next person. 

I am so happy that I chose this topic. Thomas did a great job at giving people a brief look into his life. He turned his story around and showing that Tourette does not have him, but rather he has Tourette. He looked it as a gift of life and that it is his responsibility to share it. It is hard to not look at your life as you have a problem, and I truly commend him for standing up and having a different view. He ended his talk with a quote that I believe will stick me forever. He said, "Embrace the life that you lead, let your talk be heard, and remember that each word is a celebration and has hope (TEDx Talks, 2014)." I believe that this is a quote anyone could learn from and become comfortable and loving for who they are, no matter the condition. I really do suggest watching this TED Talk if you have not heard of or seen a first-hand case of Tourette syndrome. Not only do you learn about the condition, but it will change your perspective on the way you look at a lot of things in life.

TEDx Talks. (2014, February 27). Tourette Does the Talking: Thomas White at TEDxUND. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0szLOMIt9SQ