Collaborative Program with Emory Goizueta Brain Health Institute, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, and Performance Hypothesis Exploring How Arts Can Positively Impact the Brain and Overall Health
The Alzheimer’s Foundation of America awarded Emory University’s Goizueta Brain Health Institute (Emory Goizueta BHI) a $200,000 grant to advance groundbreaking research exploring how artistic engagement may promote brain health and emotional well-being.
The grant supports a new community-based participatory research collaboration in Atlanta, Arts + Health Laboratory: Georgia’s NeuroArts Coalition, a partnership involving Emory, the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra (ASO), and Performance Hypothesis. The coalition aims to investigate how the arts improve both brain and overall health and use scientific findings to expand access to arts-based programs statewide. The team will evaluate the program’s impact on joy, respite, connection, and changes in behavior and mood, with the long-term goal of replicating the model in communities nationwide.
According to Emory Goizueta BHI, there have been remarkable advancements in music therapy for individuals with brain disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and stroke, and that research has shown that attending concerts and other arts events can improve memory and semantic fluency.
“Music is more than just entertainment; it can be beneficial to brain health and a valuable therapeutic tool,” said Charles J. Fuschillo, Jr., AFA’s President and CEO. “By investing in research that explores how creative engagement can support brain health, we are helping advance new, community-centered approaches that offer hope, connection, and improved quality of life for individuals impacted by cognitive change. We are pleased to support this research project led by Emory University’s Goizueta Brain Health Institute.”
This initiative contributes to the growing NeuroArts movement, which examines how creative experiences—including music—can produce measurable health benefits. Emory Goizueta BHI aims to deepen understanding of how arts-based interventions can help preserve and restore brain health across the lifespan, including how engagement with music may strengthen emotional well-being and social connection among individuals living with cognitive change and their care partners.
Monica Parker, MD, who is heading the research team, and is the Outreach, Recruitment, and Engagement (ORE) core lead for Emory’s Goizueta Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, said, “We are eager to learn how music may improve the mood and quality of life of those persons and families living with cognitive impairments.” Dr. Parker is also Chair of AFA’s Medical, Scientific, and Memory Screening Advisory Board.
Familiar music can stimulate memory recall and positive emotions as the brain regions associated with musical response are often among the last to deteriorate in dementia. Listening to music may also decrease cortisol levels, helping to ease anxiety and promote relaxation. Because agitation is one of the main common and challenging symptoms caregivers face, music provides a feasible and low-cost alternative to medications or restraints, which can carry significant risks.
The program builds on a successful 2024 pilot program, which provided free tickets to live ASO performances for more than 300 participants. Emory Goizueta BHI found exceptionally strong outcomes; one hundred percent of program participants reported experiencing excitement and joy, while 84 percent conveyed increased connection and 64 percent observed positive changes in behavior or mood in the person living with dementia.
AFA is able to fund research projects such as this through the generosity of individuals and organizations. Those wishing to make a donation to support AFA’s research efforts can do so by visiting www.alzfdn.org/donate or calling AFA at 866-232-8484.
