About Music & Memory
MUSIC & MEMORY® is a service of the Institute for Music and Neurologic Function (IMNF), a leader in advancing the therapeutic power of music to awaken, stimulate, and heal. Through the use of personalized music playlists, we help individuals with a wide range of cognitive and physical conditions engage with the world, ease pain, and reclaim their humanity.
By providing access and education, and by creating a network of Music & Memory certified organizations, our goal is to make the therapeutic use of personalized music a standard of care throughout the health care industry.
The Power of Personalized Music
If there were a treatment that could help individuals with dementia reconnect, express joy, and engage more fully, it would be widely adopted. Research shows that personalized music can have these effects—helping to reduce agitation, improve communication, and enhance overall well-being.
At Music & Memory certified organizations worldwide, personalized playlists are used as a non-pharmacological approach to support cognitive function, ease pain, and improve quality of life. Studies indicate that favorite music can reduce reliance on mood-altering medications, aid in rehabilitation, and even contribute to better post-surgical outcomes.
Personalized music is also a valuable tool for families and caregivers. In assisted living communities, it can encourage engagement and improve visits. In hospitals, it has been shown to uplift spirits and provide comfort. For individuals receiving hospice care, familiar songs can offer a meaningful connection in their final days. At home, personalized playlists can help ease transitions and provide much-needed moments of respite for caregivers.
As Music & Memory continues to grow, so does the research supporting the use of personalized music in care settings. These findings inform our training and reinforce the importance of making music an integral part of caregiving.
Scientific and Medical Advisory Council
G. ALLEN POWER, MD
JULES ROSEN, MD
SUSAN WEHRY, MD
Partnerships
A steady stream of anecdotal success stories and smaller research studies have prompted leading researchers to embark on large, multi-year investigations of Music & Memory’s personalized music program. The largest is a $3.7 million, five-year National Institute of Aging grant to Brown University’s Center for Long-Term Care Quality & Innovation to test Music & Memory’s efficacy and effectiveness. This follows a retrospective evaluation that found reduced use of antipsychotic medications and improved behaviors among nursing homes certified in the program compared to control facilities, suggesting that there might be an effect when researchers capture detailed data on implementation and outcomes. The ongoing study involves capturing such data, in order to more definitively examine the program’s effect and to characterize implementation strategies leading to successful Music & Memory programs and outcomes.