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AARP AND THE NEUROARTS BLUEPRINT COLLABORATION  Ob behalf of older adults, AARP and the Global Council on Brain Health (GCBH) are interested in how arts engagement can improve mental

well-being and cognitive health, including treating symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. The GCBH released MUSIC ON OUR MINDS in 2020, a report examining the evidence behind and the

rich potential of music to promote brain health and mental well-being. Following that report, AARP partnered with the NeuroArts Blueprint Initiative to conduct an independent economic

analysis on the impact music interventions might have on individuals living with Alzheimer’s disease, their caregivers and society.  Launched in 2019, the NeuroArts Blueprint Initiative is a

25-member advisory council of scientists, artists, clinicians, and technology pioneers, coordinated by the Aspen Institute and the International Arts + Minds Lab at Johns Hopkins

University, that seeks to use science and technology to better understand how the arts can improve mental and cognitive health. With AARP's support, the Initiative published the

economic analysis as part of their comprehensive report NEUROARTS BLUEPRINT: ADVANCING THE SCIENCE OF ARTS, HEALTH, AND WELLBEING. The Blueprint is an action plan to strengthen, formalize,

and propel the emerging field of neuroarts and connect stakeholders across a vast and disparate landscape into a cohesive ecosystem. The Blueprint report includes a broad call to advocates

of the arts and neuroscience to: * Strengthen the research foundation of NeuroArts. * Honor and support the many arts practices that promote health and wellbeing.  * Expand and enrich

educational and career pathways.  * Advocate for sustainable funding and promote effective policy.  * Build capacity, leadership, and communications strategies.  MUSIC AND ALZHEIMER’S: THE

ECONOMIC CASE The Global Council on Brain Health’s MUSIC ON OUR MINDS report revealed that music engagement can have powerful benefits for people living with Alzheimer’s disease and

dementia. These benefits also have important economic implications: music engagement could lower the amount of healthcare services used by people living with Alzheimer’s and reduce unpaid

caregiver burden, thus decreasing costs for treatment and freeing up caregivers’ time to work paid jobs. To explore this issue further, the NeuroArts Initiative, with AARP’s support,

commissioned KPMG to conduct an independent analysis that analyzes the economic impact of music engagement. You can read the report here: ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE AND MUSIC ENGAGEMENT ECONOMIC

IMPACT ANALYSIS.  To share the report’s findings widely, AARP hosted a webinar, MUSIC AND DEMENTIA: THE ECONOMIC CASE, in June 2022. Watch the recording below: