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SVT launches choir program for people with dementia

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Key Points
  • SVT premiered a program on April 2 featuring a choir of 17 people with dementia.
  • A study suggests choir singing may help prevent dementia by stimulating brain activity.
  • The program will end with a concert in Stockholm and has inspired similar initiatives abroad.

A new SVT program called "Demenskören" (The Dementia Choir) premiered on April 2. The program features a choir of 17 people aged 52 to 80, all of whom have dementia, formed by Anders Bagge and choir leader Sofia Lilja. According to a study from last November, participating in choir activities can reportedly help prevent dementia in older adults by stimulating parts of the brain like the hippocampus and improving brain connectivity.

Bagge described the project as one of the toughest journeys he has been on and noted it is also for the relatives of those with dementia. " Similar programs have previously aired in countries like Norway, where extensive engagement around choir formation for people with dementia followed the broadcasts. Bagge reportedly plans to continue advocating for people with dementia after the program.

one of the toughest journeys he has been on

Anders Bagge

it is also for the relatives of those with dementia

Anders Bagge

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