The power of music has been well established for years, but now science has proof.
Research has found the number one hobby that can keep your brain “young” as you grow older. A recent study published in the International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry found that music is good for our brain health.
Researchers looked at 1,107 people in the UK over the age of 40 with an average age of 67. Participants self-reported their musical experience via a questionnaire and took part in a cognitive assessment, which tested their working memory and executive function. The researchers then studied how 4 aspects of musicality – listening to music, playing an instrument, singing, and self-report ability – influenced cognitive behavior and compared it with people who had no musical background.
“This large-scale, longitudinal study supports previous research showing that music training supports cognitive health by improving memory and reducing the risk of age-related cognitive decline,” Dr Gary Small, an expert in memory, brain and ageing told HuffPost. It’s worth noting that 83% of the participants were women, so it’s not entirely indicative of the general population.
“Playing music largely involves your executive function, so it’s natural for people with a musical background to see improvement in the brain,” said Dr. Golnaz Yadollahikhales, a neurologist at Cedars-Sinai in California, who was not associated with the study. Executive function refers to our ability to multitask and organize ourselves, and to be able to sort and prioritize. In addition, playing music keeps us cognitively active, which means it challenges our brain.
Being cognitively active throughout life can have a protective role in brain health. This is known as your cognitive reservoir or cognitive reserve and activities like playing music can build it up. People with a good cognitive reserve perform well even when their brain imaging shows signs of atrophy. Brain atrophy is linked to issues such as dementia and aphasia, according to the Cleveland Clinic . “My patients who were musicians or who were still playing music at the time of diagnosis would show better cognitive function than expected based on their structural imaging findings,” Dr. Yadollahikhales said.
How musical instruments help the brain
“Musician’s brains decline slower so they stay smarter into old age, research suggests”
The research and experts who spoke to HuffPost were very clear that playing musical instruments and singing can be beneficial for your long-term cognition. The study found that playing keyboard-based instruments, such as the piano, had the greatest benefit on memory and executive function, study author Anne Corbett told Newsweek , followed by brass and woodwinds. Corbett also said the singers in the study had better completion of complex tasks as they aged. However, the study noted that the benefits of singing may also have to do with the social connections made when singing with a choir or in a group setting. Conclusion: You’re never too old to start learning and challenging your brain.
