It's music to my brain

Those tunes you just can't get out of your head - well, they actually may be benefiting your overall health, including improvements in cognitive function and long-term memory and a decrease in stress and anxiety.

That's the word from board-certified music therapist, Mary Helen Ekstam, who will be presenting "Music and the Brain," a free, Northwest Community Healthcare (NCH) Emerald Circle event for seniors, from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m., on Tuesday, May 17. The program will be held in the Northwest Community Hospital Auditorium, 800 W. Central Road, in Arlington Heights.

"Music is the only stimulus processed using the 'whole' brain," said Ekstam, who has worked in neurological rehabilitation, as well as in hospice and palliative care, throughout her career. She currently serves as a music therapist at JourneyCare, an organization offering end-of-life and palliative care that is partnering with the NCH Emerald Circle to present the music-brain program.

Studies have shown that music can enhance memory; help provide pain relief, including a reduction in the intensity and duration of migraine and chronic headaches; decrease anxiety and depression; promote calmness and relaxation; and even have a beneficial effect on the heart.

As part of the May program, Ekstam will discuss music's impact on neuroplasticity, which is the brain's ability to form new neural connections in response to injury and disease or changes in a person's situation or environment. She also will share success stories about music's positive effects on patients with advanced illnesses like Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, cancer and neurological disorders.

Register online or by calling HealthConnection at (847) 618-4968. Emerald Circle is an NCH outreach program for seniors, ages 62 and older. Membership is free. Emerald Circle participants are encouraged to bring a friend to the May 17 event.