The beauty of Dr. Paller’s work lies in the support for applying his findings to other subjects and disciplines. If targeted memory reactivation (TMR) improves learning and memory cognition via auditory cues during sleep, would it be possible to use this kind of technique to improve psychiatric treatment for amnesiac patients? Although Dr. Paller mentioned ethical concerns regarding the possibility of "memory control," applying his approach to music-memory therapies might present an advantage.
During Dr. Paller's presentation, he introduced other examples that were not strictly declarative memory. Other projects demonstrate that TMR during sleep enhances performance in musical ability and learning to dissociate between social/gender biases. Increasing the complexity of the learning objectives would prove the effectiveness of TMR. However, what if this also works in a "backward" fashion?
Music-therapy has been rising in popularity at amnesiac patient care centers for the past few years. Patients can find ways to make associations and connections through auditory mediums, like music. "It [music] engages the totality of the brain — centers that process ... sound, memory, attention, language, sight, touch and more. It sparks neural activity within each of these centers and sets them in motion together in a way few other experiences can", stated Dr. Nina Kraus (Northwestern University) during an interview with the Chicago Tribune.
Relating this phenomenon to Dr. Paller's work, TMR during sleep may include the songs that connect with amnesiac patients as auditory stimuli and help them associate new (learned) memories with their preconvictions of the music. Even if this is an initial idea, the power of TMR should not be underestimated.
The news articles and corresponding videos regarding Music-Therapy are linked below.
A. Baird, S. SamsonMemory for music in Alzheimer's disease: Unforgettable?
Neuropsychology Review, 19 (1) (2009), pp. 85-101
Recognition of familiar and unfamiliar melodies in normal aging and Alzheimer's disease
Memory and Cognition, 23 (5) (1995), pp. 531-546
https://musicandmemory.org/
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