Journals

Hi! I'm Maryam! Between the SATs, college apps, lab research, and numerous church competitions, I have very little to no time. However, when I'm free, I enjoy hanging out with my friends or babysitting my second cousins! This summer, I got to pick them up from pre-school and had the great opportunity of spoiling them with some Dunkin Donuts donuts. I've also been in and out of the lab at Albany Med working on my research topic for Science Research.

I've never really been a sports person but I honestly enjoy racket sports. Having said that, I do enjoy watching football and soccer, especially during the World Cup season. Even when it is, I only find myself cheering for one country... Egypt (they're not that good, I'm just loyal). I don't usually think of myself as a person full of surprises so, we're going to play a game... 2 truths and a lie. I'm trilingual, I've never broken a single bone, and I've visited France, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Mexico.

If you said the second one is the lie, you're wrong! Surprise, they're all true ;)

Sometimes, I think I care too much about my grades. I don't necessarily think that that's a bad thing since it keeps me motivated to be the best version of myself. My favorite memory inside a classroom was from last year's AP Lang class. It was the last day of school and Mr. Hahn had us sit in a circle. He then proceeded to share his impression of each one of us. This is absolutely one of the highlights of the class because it showed how we all grew together as a classroom into becoming a community, almost like a family in a way. Oddly enough, my favorite outside-the-classroom memory was the last day of school my sophomore year. My friends and I decided to have a picnic outside the school on the grass. It was a simple, enjoyable, and fun memory! It's ironic how all my favorite school memories are on the last day of school... 

This might be controversial, but I find that stress keeps me motivated in school. I love many things about school. I was recently asked by a college admissions officer what I look for in a school/college. I said two simple words, community and opportunity. And honestly, I believe that GHS does a great job at offering both. The one thing I hate about school is waking up early, but that's a minor issue that I could live with. 

The thing that attracted me the most to EMC was the fact that we could research whatever topic sparked our interest! As I previously said, I'm currently enrolled in another class. However, my topic is so focused on microbiology I don't often get to experience other aspects of science. 

The neurology has always been an interest of mine! I've always found the human brain to be a fascinating and critical area yet very little is known about it. Alzheimer's has also been one of the most intriguing topics I've come across. As a matter of fact, my friend from another school told me about his research concerning the correlation between dementia patients and video games. At first, it sounded odd to me since dementia patients are usually on the older side, therefore, one wouldn't normally think of them playing video games. It wasn't until I took psychology my junior year that I began to sort of understand. We were taking a unit about memory and got into the topic of music and memory. We had to watch a documentary that took place in a nursing home with Alzheimer's patients. Each patient's family was asked to provide a couple of songs that the patient enjoyed listening to prior to the development of the disease. What this documentary revealed is that Alzheimer's patients, who mostly could barely speak a couple of words, regained some chunks of their memory as they listened to the songs. Most importantly, they gained their emotions back, a huge part of their identity. It was honestly moving to see all of these patients laugh and dance after looking sad for a long time. 

Some questions I still have that are related to my topic include: Why were patients able to regain parts of their memories? Would the same results still be accomplished with a patient whose disease progressed quite a bit? Could new memories be created for Alzheimer's patients if they listen to music while creating them? Which part of the brain stores music and how does this play a role in Alzheimer's? Lastly, if the correlation between music and memory is so apparent and evidential, why is it not implemented in the healthcare field when treating dementia patients?

I'm looking to investigate the effects of music on the memory of Alzheimer's patients and how and why the brain is able to regain some information. 

I think I know that the part of the brain that stores music is the last part to be affected by AD, which is why the act of listening to music helps bridge the gap they have with memories. I also think that things such as music, puzzles, brain teasers, and surprisingly, video games can all help patients either temporarily regain some memories or even delay the symptoms of AD.

I know I know that the music AD patients listen to must be connected to a special memory (i.e. first dance song, favorite childhood song, etc.). This is either obtained through family members or through the patients themselves (if their conditions permit).  I also know that these patients' personalities completely change as they listen to a song that is meaningful to them. They become more open, talkative, joyful, and overall seem better and happier (Alive Inside: A Story of Music and Memory ). I also know that music works in several areas of the brain all at the same time. These areas include the motor cortex (movement, such as dancing, while listening to music), sensory cortex (controls tactile feedback while listening to music), auditory cortex (listening to sounds and analyzing tones), hippocampus (involved in music memories, experiences, and context), along with other parts (The Kennedy Center ). 

• I don’t know how music interacts with the brain

• I don’t know specifically how Alzheimer's impacts the cerebellum

• I don’t know how Alzheimer's impacts the brain as a whole

• I don’t know how much it would cost if the United States would provide personalized MP3s for each patient

• I don’t know how much money a normal Alzheimer's treatment cost

• I don’t know if music has not worked in any of Alzheimer's patients

• I don’t know at what point in the progression of the disease music becomes an ineffective form of treatment

• I don’t know if new memories in Alzheimer's patients could be created using music

• I don’t know if music as a treatment would be temporary or permanent

• I don’t know if starting music treatment early on when being diagnosed with the disease would be more efficient and prevent it from progressing

I have determined that from my list of 10 “don’t know,” I need to know how music interacts with the brain. This is important for a variety of reasons, one reason is that in order to treat a disease you need to know all aspects of the treatment and how it will affect the parts that are affected by the disease. This includes knowing how music as the treatment would interact with the brain, which is affected by the diseases. Another thing I need to know is if new memories in Alzheimer's patients could be created using music. This is important for a variety of reasons, one reason is that if this is possible it would help many people. In addition, if this is possible it will change the way people in the future view Alzheimer's and will make new advancements in science.

How does music interact with the human brain?

In order to understand how music impacts Alzheimer's patients, it is essential first to know how it interacts with a healthy human brain. Once the ears are exposed to music, the vibrations are transmitted into electrical signals that travel through the auditory nerve and into the brain.  One of the most interesting, yet essential, side-effects of exposition to music is to recall a past memory that is associated with the same time period as the song  ("Keep Your Brain...").  Another important role of music is the reduction of stress, pain, and symptoms of depression.  One of its most important roles though is enhancing the process of neurogenesis, or the production of neurons. This is a significant finding since neurogenesis is a function AD patients lack. In a previous journal, it was stated that the cerebellum is the part that is impacted the most when it comes to music and memory. The cerebellum is responsible for coordinating movement and story memory. It interacts the most with music and memory association. A neuroscientist says, "An Alzheimer’s patient, even if he doesn’t recognize his wife, could still play the piano if he learned it when he was young because playing has become a muscle memory. Those memories in the cerebellum never fade out" (Music and the Brain...).

One of the best quotes I've seen about the importance of music says, "If you want to firm up your body, head to the gym. If you want to exercise your brain, listen to music...  If you want to keep your brain engaged throughout the aging process, listening to or playing music is a great tool. It provides a total brain workout" ("Keep Your Brain..."). 

My SDA addressed the extent to which music impacts the healthy brain. For now, though, I would like to shift my focus more toward Alzheimer's. I need to know to what extent Alzheimer's Disease impacts the brain. This means that I'd like to explore:

1. How does Alzheimer's impact the cerebellum?

2. At what point in the disease's progression do memories stop forming?

3. What is the process of memory recollection in a healthy brain?

   • What is the process of memory recollection in Alzheimer's patient's brain?

After understanding how music impacts a healthy brain, I felt like it was finally time to move on and take a deeper look into how music impacts the brain of an Alzheimer's patient. Therefore, I arrived at my new "need to know" question which first examines the effects of Alzheimer's on the brain. This will help me identify the changes that happen to the brain as the disease progresses (future need to know: how music impacts the brain of an Alzheimer's patient). Under this new "need to know" question, I believe I need to understand what happens to the cerebellum as AD progresses since it has the most correlation between music and AD. In addition, I need to understand at what point exactly in the disease is a patient unable to form new memories (which could potentially mean that music treatment might no longer be effective). Lastly, I wanted to compare the process of memory recollection in a healthy brain vs. one impacted by AD. 

My need-to-know question is "To what extent does Alzheimer's Disease impact the brain ?" I believe that this is an analysis question since it calls into question the relationship between AD and the brain. Through researching AD, I can identify and analyze the key things it does to the brain. My three sub-questions were:

1. How does Alzheimer's impact the cerebellum? I believe that this question is also an analysis question since it examines the effects of AD on a specific part of the brain.

2. At what point in the disease's progression do memories stop forming? I believe that this is a knowledge question since it could be answered using one source and does not require research. 

3. What is the process of memory recollection in a healthy brain? This question is also a knowledge question since it's asking a simple "what is..."

   • What is the process of memory recollection in Alzheimer's patient's brain? This question is an extension of the previous question and is also a knowledge question.

I think I want to focus on the third sub-question since it seems the most relevant to my overall topic. I also think that it'll give me a foundation to lay my need-to-know question on. I will be using the following sources:

• “Memory Loss and Dementia.” Alzheimer’s Society, 2021, www.alzheimers.org.uk/about-dementia/symptoms-and-diagnosis/symptoms/memory-loss. 

• “Memory Recall and Retrieval System: Types, Processes, Improvement & Problems.” The Human Memory, 7 Sept. 2023, human-memory.net/memory-recall-retrieval/. 

• Roy, Dheeraj. “Helping Alzheimer’s Patients Bring Back Memories.” Scientific American, Scientific American, 19 Oct. 2020, www.scientificamerican.com/article/helping-alzheimers-patients-bring-back-memories1/. 

S- As a reminder, my need-to-know question is "To what extent does Alzheimer's Disease impact the brain?"  This question is fundamental to understand, not just to build a foundation for my research on music and memory in AD patients, but also on a personal level since it impacts many people. According to the Alzheimer's Association, there are 6 million people of all ages suffering from AD in the United States alone ("Alzheimer's disease facts..."). This is a very significant number that puts into perspective the prevalence of the disease.  My other essential questions help form a basic foundation that will help me and others understand the impact of the disease on memory formation/ retention. 

P- One could claim that Alzheimer's impacts every person of every age, some more than others. Every one of us knows or will know at least one person who has AD; the harsh truth is that one of us might be one at some point. AD is a very detrimental disease that takes away a person's identity little by little. It doesn't only take away that person from their family, but it also takes them away from themselves. It deteriorates the brain slowly to a point where it becomes unreceptive.

E- While there is no current cure for AD, this information, if implemented, will slow down the progression of the disease, allowing patients to spend more time with their loved ones ("Memory loss..."). As previously shown, AD is not a rare disease but rather one that occurs too frequently with no possible cure. Since it's very hard, if not impossible, to restore a deteriorated brain, the next optimal option would be to either contain the progression or stop it completely ("Alzheimer’s Disease..."). Music offers a possible treatment to delay the complete deterioration of the brain. 

C- I believe that this topic is connected to multiple other subject areas but most significantly to ethics. Any treatment, whether for AD or something else, sparks controversy over whether it's ethical or not. Most importantly, people oftentimes disagree with what ethics truly means. However, using music as a form of treatment seems to be highly efficient while being very ethical. Not many people would find this form to be controversial and not many will oppose this form of treatment. 

S- How might it be different if I studied the process of memory recollection using music in a healthy brain vs. the same process in an AD-impacted brain? I remember watching one of last year's EMC presentations and learning about how music improves learning. I thought it would be interesting to see that play into action in my next SDA.  I also wonder if there is a point when it's too late to use that form of treatment. If so, what determines that? 

Now that it’s complete, what are your thoughts about this SDA? Are they mostly positive or negative?

I had a lot of plans for this SDA which included a full experiment with volunteers. However, by the time the experiment video was complete as well as the Google Form, I couldn't reserve a room for the experiment. Therefore, I had to create a last-minute product. Having said that, I believe that the final product was good considering the "time" I had to create it. 

Do you feel as though you conveyed a “So What?”

I believe I somewhat conveyed a "so what." I attempted to put the viewer in an AD patient's shoes by having the constant flashing images and the background music. Both of these things were meant to demonstrate the frustration an AD patient would feel as they're trying to process or recall information. However, I think I should've included that note somewhere on the actual SDA since it has come to my attention that this is not completely obvious.

How much time did you dedicate to this assignment? Did your attention management meet your time management? 

I dedicated a lot of time to my previous SDA idea. However, since I had to change plans last minute, I wasn't able to dedicate a decent amount of time to the final product. So overall I do believe that this whole SDA deserved more time and attention. 

What “Cs” do you feel as though you’re hitting? What “Cs” do you need to hit moving forward? 

Curiosity and critical thinking were the two big Cs that I was hitting. I explored a different question this SDA than the last SDA (Music and the brain vs. AD and the brain). However, I do not believe that I effectively communicated what I learned in addition to not collaborating. Also, I do feel like this SDA resembles the previous SDA visual-wise. 

What was the most important thing you learned?

To have better "checkpoints" for myself so that I could get the SDA that I want done at the time that I need. 

Compare your second SDA to your first. Which was more difficult or craft and why?

I feel like the second SDA was harder to craft since I had to come up with a different idea than just a basic infographic. 

Looking back, what are you proud of?

I'm proud of the final product considering everything that happened. I think I created the best product I could have given the time I had left. 

What do you still need to work on?

Again, I think I need to work on planning my ideas ahead of time and having deadlines for myself. In addition, I also want to start creating backup plans just in case things don't go as planned while working on my SDA. 

How do you think you can use the information gained this month in the future?

I will definitely book a library classroom earlier this time. I also think that I will use the products I've already created for my experiment on my next SDA, so it wasn't a total loss!

Refer to the HOTQs - Were they helpful in crafting your essential question and sub-question? 

The HOTQs would have helped craft the essential question as well as the sub-questions. However, I only used them to identify which type of questions they were. 

Explain how you have used scholarly sources in the past. What is your experience with searching for scholarly sources and articles?

I've used scholarly sources in the past for Science Research Seminar. I utilized the library database along with Google Scholar to find my sources. In addition, I would do a check to make sure that they are a reliable and accurate source of information. I then used these sources for multiple purposes including writing an annotated bibliography, a research proposal, creating a presentation, gaining familiarity with my research, or even writing my research paper (currently ongoing). 

SPECS of Radiolab Podcast:

S- The Codex Seraphinianus sparks curiosity and challenges conventional understanding, which primarily lies in the Codex's ability to captivate people's imaginations and alluring of the unknown. Meanwhile, the exploration of universal melodies in parental communication (Anne Fernald's research) contributes insights into early childhood development and human communication.

P- The Codex Seraphinianus appeals to those interested in art, language, and mystery, while the Science of Sound segment of the podcast impacts parents, linguists, and neuroscientists. The Codex Seraphinianus and Science of Sound both appeal to creativity, imagination, and human interaction.

E- The Codex Seraphinianus uses descriptions and interpretations of illustrations, while the Science of Sound provides evidence through recorded clips of parental communication and discussions with experts.

C- The Codex Seraphinianus connects to art, language, and cultural studies, exploring the connections between creativity and mystery. The Science of Sound connects linguistics, neuroscience, and psychology, emphasizing the shared aspects of human communication and the neurological ways of sound perception.

S- In the Codex Seraphinianus, deciphering it might diminish its mystique, while in the Science of Sound, a lack of universal melodies could challenge the idea of shared human experiences in early communication. Both suppositions push for a deep reflection on the impact of understanding and interpretation.

Three themes:

• Music therapy- In the context of my topic, music could be used as a form of therapy which slows down the progression of AD. For Dylan's topic, music therapy could be used for war veterans as a way to help with PTSD.

• Music and human experiences- music serves as a gateway that allows AD patients to temporary regain their memories, emotions, and experiences. Similarly, music that was created/ impacted by war often related to the experiences that people went through during the war. 

• Music and emotions- Often, music allows AD patients to access certain emotions they used to associate with the music. Similarly, the creating of songs post-war were often related to the emotional experiences people went through during the war itself.      

• One additional theme/ thing we could look into is music composers who were war veterans and as a result got AD; it is commonly known that PTSD doubles a person's chance of getting AD

The theme we chose is music therapy. In order to understand why my partner and I did so, it's important to understand the concepts behind the theme.

S- Music therapy is significant to both topics: the effects of music on AD patients and the effects of war on music. We could explore the potential therapeutic role of AD patients and war veterans/ PTSD patients.

P- This would effect war veterans and Alzheimer's patients.

E- There have been multiple studies that explored the therapeutic effects of music and AD patients and how it could potentially slow down the progress or even help temporarly regain their memories. Similarly, PTSD patients have been exposed to music as a means of therapy to help them. I believe that it would have similar effects on war veterans who suffer from PTSD.

C- Music therapy is a bridge between the two topics. It is a middle ground that connects both Alzheimer's disease and war.

S- We believed that this would be the best theme for both topics. However, if it was different, we would most likely choose music and human experiences.

I think we will be using WeVideo to create this podast! The need to know question is: how does music therapy work, who delivers it, how long does it take for this form of therapy to work? This connects to my topic since most AD patients are dependent on a caregiver, whatever that may look like. Therefore, it's important to understand that first as a foundation for the project. Similarly, it's a very important that connects to my partner's topic in a similar way. The only difference would be that war veterans may be independent. In addition, this need to know connects well with the effects of war on music because war veterans usually receive some form of therapy as a result of the PTSD they gained from war. 

"Music Therapy Enhances Episodic Memory in Alzheimer’s and Mixed Dementia: A Double-Blind Randomized Controlled Trial"

S- This scholarly journal was very significant in that it proved that there was reduced forgetting during episodic memory tasks. This means that when patients were asked to perform tasks that involved the usage of memory, there was a significant decrease in forgetfulness when music was involved. This is very significant because AD is not only known for giving its patients long-term memory loss, but it also makes them unable to form or retain new memories.

P- I would claim that this scholarly journal not only affects AD patients, but also AD institutions, companies looking for treatment options, families trying to help one of their members, or even future researchers. It also affects researchers who are studying treatment methods for not only AD but dementia in general.

E- In this study, there were two groups: a control group and an experimental group. Both of the groups received music therapy by the same therapist- it's important to note that the therapist DID NOT know which group was control and which was experimental and neither did the experiment subjects (double-blind)- and had half of the test subjects healthy adults while the other half were AD patients. The difference was the amount of music therapy sessions. The study included a pre-test, music therapy, and a post-test. Besides the obvious results which stated that healthy patients were able to retain more information, evidence also suggested that patients who received more music therapy were able to retain and recollect more information/memories. 

C- This study connects with other forms of dementia since its results show a correlation between memory retention and music. This means that healthy patients who received music therapy were overall able to remember more than other healthy patients.

S- I think it would be very interesting to test out different forms of music therapy rather than amounts of music therapy sessions. 

"Music helps patients with dementia connect with loved ones"

S- This article is significant because it focuses on beyond how dementia affects its patients. It discusses the ways in which new connections could be built between dementia patients and their families in order to bring comfort to both sides through music.

P- This article focuses mainly on how dementia patients' families and partners are also affected. 

E- This article presented observations about how exposing dementia patients to music from their youth allowed them to connect with their families in ways they could not before. 

C- This connects to the psychological struggles families face when one of their members is a dementia patient. 

S- I suppose one thing this article could have explored that's a little different is what it would be like to expose dementia patients to NEW music instead of songs they're familiar with. 

"Art and Music"

S-  This article is significant because it talks about how art and music allow AD patients to connect with things around them even after their verbal communication had failed to allow them to do so.

P- I believe the target audience for this article is caregivers of AD patients.

E- This article focuses on the affects of art and music on AD patients after their mid-stages of the disease. It does not present evidence but rather discusses observations since this article is provided by Alzheimer's Association itself.

C- This is connected to other fields in a different way than the two previous articles. This one is almost like a message of hope to caregivers that AD patients still retain a piece of themselves even after the disease has fully progressed. 

S- One thing they could have done differently was include data rather than just observations. 

"Music Therapy Enhances Episodic Memory in Alzheimer’s and Mixed Dementia: A Double-Blind Randomized Controlled Trial"

S- This scholarly journal was very significant in that it proved that there was reduced forgetting during episodic memory tasks. This means that when patients were asked to perform tasks that involved the usage of memory, there was a significant decrease in forgetfulness when music was involved. This is very significant because AD is not only known for giving its patients long-term memory loss, but it also makes them unable to form or retain new memories.

P- I would claim that this scholarly journal not only affects AD patients, but also AD institutions, companies looking for treatment options, families trying to help one of their members, or even future researchers. It also affects researchers who are studying treatment methods for not only AD but dementia in general.

E- In this study, there were two groups: a control group and an experimental group. Both of the groups received music therapy by the same therapist- it's important to note that the therapist DID NOT know which group was control and which was experimental and neither did the experiment subjects (double-blind)- and had half of the test subjects healthy adults while the other half were AD patients. The difference was the amount of music therapy sessions. The study included a pre-test, music therapy, and a post-test. Besides the obvious results which stated that healthy patients were able to retain more information, evidence also suggested that patients who received more music therapy were able to retain and recollect more information/memories. 

C- This study connects with other forms of dementia since its results show a correlation between memory retention and music. This means that healthy patients who received music therapy were overall able to remember more than other healthy patients.

S- I think it would be very interesting to test out different forms of music therapy rather than amounts of music therapy sessions. 

"Music helps patients with dementia connect with loved ones"

S- This article is significant because it focuses on beyond how dementia affects its patients. It discusses the ways in which new connections could be built between dementia patients and their families in order to bring comfort to both sides through music.

P- This article focuses mainly on how dementia patients' families and partners are also affected. 

E- This article presented observations about how exposing dementia patients to music from their youth allowed them to connect with their families in ways they could not before. 

C- This connects to the psychological struggles families face when one of their members is a dementia patient. 

S- I suppose one thing this article could have explored that's a little different is what it would be like to expose dementia patients to NEW music instead of songs they're familiar with. 

"Art and Music"

S-  This article is significant because it talks about how art and music allow AD patients to connect with things around them even after their verbal communication had failed to allow them to do so.

P- I believe the target audience for this article is caregivers of AD patients.

E- This article focuses on the affects of art and music on AD patients after their mid-stages of the disease. It does not present evidence but rather discusses observations since this article is provided by Alzheimer's Association itself.

C- This is connected to other fields in a different way than the two previous articles. This one is almost like a message of hope to caregivers that AD patients still retain a piece of themselves even after the disease has fully progressed. 

S- One thing they could have done differently was include data rather than just observations. 

Contributions- We split the work evenly for the most part. Each person devised a plan for what they were planning on including in the podcast. We then looked at each other's outlines and chose a couple of areas we would comment on. So overall, I feel like the work was pretty much evenly spread out even during the editing process of the podcast!

Team Communication- I think Dylan and I made a good team! We regulated regularly and figured out days/ times that worked for both of us (which was a complete struggle). We didn't struggle as much with the slides since they didn't require that much time, so we met during lunch. However, we ended up meeting over Google Meets and recording our parts of the podcast individually while still in the meeting together. 

Decision-Making and Roles- The decisions made in our projects were with both of our agreements. We came up with solid plans for everything together so I would say that it was a more democratic process. Each person came up with a plan for their chapter of the podcast and we discussed and gave each other feedback.

Conflict Resolution- There weren't any disagreements within our group other than schedule conflict. We just had to compromise with the timing and do our meeting online.

Time & Attention Management- I feel like we managed our time very well for the planning period of this project. At some point, we were even ahead of where we needed to be! However, since midterm tests were happening at the same time as the recording process, we ended up recording on Saturday night. There were no problems meeting deadlines!

Learning and Growth- I learned a lot from this project. For starters, I learned the importance of stepping out of my comfort zone. I wouldn't have done a podcast if it weren't for the fact that we had to. However, it was a very fun process and I learned a lot from it. One of the skills I developed was learning how to use Soundtrap, especially for group projects.

Feedback and Future Improvements- One thing I learned for sure is the fact that I will never again use my Chromebook to record anything :) . One thing our group learned is to include more personal anecdotes to provide a good enough connection to engage the audience. If we were to work on a similar project again, I would suggest we record it in one go since it would sound more natural. I feel like we were planning on doing that but we couldn't find a time that worked for both of us to meet in person. 

For this next SDA, my need to know question is going to be to what extent does music help in the process of memory processing, storing, and retaining. This is a very essential question because so far, all the evidence that I've exposed to is concerning a large group of patients. I would like to see the more practical aspect of this and how it affects everyone's daily lives. 

I want to argue that it could be a major factor in the processes stated above so my two potentiel SDAs are "It's the Law!" or an argumentative documentary (will have to check with Mr. Bott). I would like to conduct the experiment I wanted to do before as my evidence and will either present it as a law or record the entire process as a part of the documentary.

I would like to improve collaboration in this SDA. One way I could do that is by interviewing either an expert in the field or high school students and ask about their opinion concerning the subject. 

For the March 1st SDA, I believe I'll do a documentry because it is the most fitting with my topic. My main goal is to have people watch the documentry and know more about how their memory is impacted by music. 

S- The essential question is important because a diverse group of people would like to know how to improve their memory; whether it be for a test, for a presentation, to avoid certain illnesses, or to even treat certain illnesses. 

P- I believe this impacts everyone for the many different reasons stated above. People could also take that information and apply it to themselves or they could use it to help someone they know.

E- I will gather my evidence from scientific journals and other existing documentaries.

C- Like I said before, music therapy doesn't just impact AD patients. Even just listening to "studying music" could be one form of music therapy that a person does without realizing. This would impact many other aspects of life.  

S- That only people with a certain illness, such as PTSD or AD, could benefit from music therapy.

Sources:

1 (documentary)-  “Alive Inside: A Story of Music and Memory.” YouTube, YouTube, 8 Nov. 2021, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9IHUPamCB4. 

2- “Keep Your Brain Young with Music.” Johns Hopkins Medicine, 13 Apr. 2022, www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/keep-your-brain-young-with-music.

3- “Memory Recall and Retrieval System: Types, Processes, Improvement & Problems.” The Human Memory, 7 Sept. 2023, human-memory.net/memory-recall-retrieval/. 

I ended up spending more time on this project than I did on the last one. I think my only problem this time was that when I planned everything out on paper, I didn't time myself practicing. I felt like it looked like a lot of information that could get me through at least 10 minutes. However, I ended up having around 5-6 minutes. What I would do differently next time is time myself while saying the information out loud beforehand to see if I need to find more research. 

I feel like I need to improve on the skill of finding new information. Maybe it's the fact that I'm using the same keywords to find information but I keep on getting the information. Or, maybe the fact that this research is more on the recent side traps me with the same information.

 In order to avoid that problem again, I feel like I need to zoom a little bit out of my topic and look at the bigger picture. My new need-to-know question is going to be, "Other than pharmaceutical treatments, what can slow down the progression of Alzheimer's Disease? At what point is it too late for these methods to work?"

I think I'll end up using PSA#2 because:

• S: I think the significance it holds is the fact that it lets random people experience what dementia patients experience indirectly. 

• P: I feel like this allows everyone to be touched and realize the weight of dementia on patients.

• E: I'm not sure what the evidence for this PSA would be.

• C: I think it connects with multiple fields but I would need to tweak it a little bit to have it fit in with music therapy.

• S: The only thing I would add is a connection to music therapy.

Introduction:

It's a pleasure being here tonight! My name is Maryam Abdelnour and I'm a senior at Guilderland High School. Before beginning, I want to take a second to thank my family, friends, and the best EMC coordinators for the endless support they've provided me throughout this process. I appreciate every single one of their presence in my life! Have you ever wondered what it's like to have Alzheimer's Disease? Here's what a couple of students had to say about it (maybe show part of the PSA or write their responses on the screen). AD affects more than 6 million Americans (Alzheimer's Association) and approximately 55 million worldwide (Alzheimer's Disease International). The average cost to treat AD pharmaceutically is more than $30,000 per patient annually (NIH). Alzheimer's not only affects its patients, but it also impacts their families and other people around them. Tonight, I would love to present to all of you why music therapy is the best way to deal with AD, and hopefully, I'll be able to change a few minds!  

Hook: Have you ever experienced Alzheimer’s? Well, here’s what these students have said about it. (insert a segment of PSA#2 OR write comments on a slide)

Ethos: I want you to imagine this with me. You’re around 7 years old sitting in the back seat of the car next to your brother with both of your parents sitting in the front. The car’s not moving but parked in front of a store- a rather old-looking store. Now, you may wonder what’s so special about this memory. Why is it significant? The most important left-out detail is the fact that there was a soundtrack playing, one very specific soundtrack that played over and over again on the CD. And here, a link between these songs and that memory was born. Anytime I hear one of those songs, no matter where I am or who I’m with, I’m brought back to the back seats of our Hyundai Elantra. 

Point 1: One of the easiest ways to understand the full impact of music therapy on an Alzheimer’s patient is to compare what music and what AD do to a person’s brain. Let’s start at the front of the brain. AD compromises intelligence, judgment, and behavior. Meanwhile, studies indicate that music enhances thinking, planning, and decision-making. Moving on to the parietal lobe, a patient’s language usage, oral expression, reading, and writing skills are all compromised. On the other hand, playing an instrument or constant exposure to music allows improvement in both communication and speech. The cerebellum is responsible for coordinating movement and storing physical memory. Once the neurodegenerative disease affects it, patients have problems with motor skills, balance, sense of body position, and movement coordination. Music simply allows for a temporary pathway back to these skills that were previously stored. Overall, music therapy deals with a lot of the issues caused by AD, which in turn slows down its rapid progression. While the problem cannot be completely solved, its side effects could be delayed.

Point 2: As commonly known, Alzheimer’s Disease causes its patients long-term memory loss, as well as making them unable to form or retain new memories. However, it has been theorized that music therapy could increase that memory retention period. A group of scientists came together to put that theory to the test. They took an even group of healthy adults and another of AD patients, split each group in half, and mixed them so that each of the two groups created contained 50% healthy adults and 50% affected patients. The study included a pre-test, music therapy, and a post-test. The results showed that there was reduced forgetting during episodic memory tasks. This means that when patients were asked to perform tasks that involved the usage of memory, there was a significant decrease in forgetfulness when music was involved. Now while this was only tested in the scope of an experiment, this reinforced discovery could not only impact the lives of Alzheimer patients but also the lives of those around them. 

Point 3: It’s important to understand that when someone is affected by Alzheimer’s Disease, their entire circle is also affected. Now if we carefully think about each of our memories, we realize that memories are not simple instances stored in our minds, but rather our entire identities. That’s why AD patients, or dementia patients in general oftentimes are unresponsive or talk very little. A documentary, titled “Alive Inside: A Story of Music and Memory” explored how music could act as a portal to a patient’s old life. One particular scene that’s always engraved in my mind is of one of the interviewees smiling while talking with the interviewer. At the beginning of this documentary, an interview was done with a completely unresponsive AD patient; almost as if he never heard any of the questions to begin with. However, through talking with his family, the researchers were able to come up with a playlist of this man’s favorite songs from his youth. Almost immediately, you could see his whole demeanor shift. He was smiling- laughing, tapping his feet, and responding to the questions. He was able to recall a memory that he closely associated with the song playing. Music therapy allowed that man to regain a part of himself.

CC (why not just conventional forms of treatment) and Rebuttal: Now, I’m not here to claim that music therapy is a complete substitute for traditional forms of treatment, such as pharmaceutical options, but rather a powerful complement.

Conclusion: Although we’ve covered a lot tonight, I cannot stress enough the importance of music therapy when dealing with Alzheimer’s Disease. It is one of the most powerful tools known to science that can act as a portal between the two worlds; bridging the deteriorating brain with the patient’s old life. It helps patients remember who they are as well as offer comfort to those around them. If anyone around you is suffering from this disease, try out this simple method. And you never know, what might sound like a few notes to you might be the melody back to someone’s life. Again, thank you for listening and supporting me! I want you all to welcome Kiran Garcha, who will be presenting on…