For children with a rare form of dementia, music could be a powerful therapy tool

Music therapy may be helpful for children with a rare form of dementia. adriaticfoto/ Shutterstock

When we hear the word “dementia”, we usually think of memory loss in older adults. But there’s another, much rarer form of the disease that strikes far earlier in life – childhood dementia, also known as Batten disease.

Batten disease is a rare but serious genetic disorder that affects the brain and nervous system. It is unknown how many children in the UK are living with this heartbreaking condition, but recent estimates show between 150-200 are affected.