From now until the ASET Annual Conference Begins on August
18th. I will highlight some
of the topics we will be discussing in my blog.
I think you will find this year’s ASET annual conference in Pittsburgh
to be one of the best ever, and one of the most inspirational. If you have not received your conference
brochure yet, they are in the mail and you should receive one soon. If you are not on our mailing list, you may
view the full brochure at this link: ASET 2016 Conference Brochure
I am “over-the-top” excited about our Keynote Address this
year. The topic is “Music and
Memory”.
This topic is based on the
documentary movie from 2014 called “Alive Inside” about the positive effect of
music on Alzheimer’s patients. The movie
is readily available via the internet, and providers like Netflix. I highly recommend this uplifting film! The creator of the film, Dan Cohen, began the project to bring custom
recorded music to Alzheimer’s patients, and began a program to donate iPods for
patients. The music that is most
meaningful for the individual is the most effective, so family members are
consulted when selecting the music for each patient.
Our speaker is Robin Lombardo, who works for the Music and
Memory organization, which manages the iPod program and provides education
about music and dementia for caregivers.
Robin is a certified dementia practitioner and a certified recreation
therapist. Her presentation will include
an explanation of how many areas of the brain are involved when we listen to
music. She has some amazing video clips
to demonstrate the remarkable response that even severely affected Alzheimer’s
patients have when they can listen to songs from their past.
I feel that a Keynote address should inspire us and take us
beyond our everyday work. This talk will
be inspirational and very pertinent to our lives. Who does not know someone with Alzheimer’s? Many of us perform tests for dementia
patients. No matter what area of
neurodiagnostics you are in, from pediatrics to intraoperative
neuro-monitoring, you won’t want to miss this presentation!
I look forward to seeing you all in Pittsburgh!
