Two sisters and one piano working wonders at dementia village

Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia can rob a person of their memories and communication skills.

However, there is evidence that the ability to recognise music is retained by people with the condition, even as other cognitive abilities deteriorate.

Two young sisters made this discovery, not through scientific research, but by chance.

Min Luo, 12, and nine-year-old Fei Shan were playing piano for a family friend who has dementia when they noticed a change.

"When we visited him, he would usually be a bit stressed.

"But when we started playing, he would usually sit down, and sometimes he would tap his hand in time with the rhythm or hum along," Min said.

The girls then decided they wanted to share the joy and peace music can bring with others who have the debilitating brain disease.

They decided to visit aged care facilities and play for the residents.

'It just makes you feel alive'

At the Korongee Dementia Village, in Hobart's northern suburbs, the girls are performing an afternoon concert.

Some of the residents tap their feet in time with the music, while others nod along.

Resident Nick Dickens is in awe of Fei and Min's musical skill.

"The old stress goes out the window … it just makes you feel alive," he said.

The 75-year-old has frontotemporal and vascular dementia, which has affected his mood and mobility rather than his memory.

Once a guitarist in a rock 'n' roll band, Mr Dickens said music was "everything" to him.

And he said the impact of Min and Fei's concert on his fellow residents at the village was clear.

"I've noticed here a lot of the ones with Alzheimer's, they're sort of in their own world most of the time, but they really respond to music."

The sisters plan to hold a concert to raise money for dementia research.

A dopamine hit and a way to communicate

People with Alzheimer's disease can retain musical memory even when other forms of memory fade.

Associate Professor Alison Canty, from the Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre, said part of the brain responsible for musical memory is quite resilient to the progression of the disease.

"We don't get the same shrinkage or deterioration of the circuits in that region, and we don't know why," she said.

Associate Professor Canty said even people with the condition who have not spoken for some time may respond to a piece of music they recognise.

Music can also release the neurotransmitter dopamine.

"It's part of our reward system, and so flooding the brain with dopamine can enhance your mood; it can reduce anxiety, it can reduce stress," Associate Professor Canty said.

In 2025, dementia was named as the leading cause of death in Australia, and by 2065, almost 1.1 million people are predicted to have it.