By John O’Sullivan, Irish Star / MSN | Those who play instruments or sing can have stronger cognitive function and memory. The findings were published in the International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry. “The main message here is that different ways of engaging with music throughout life could be linked to different benefits,” said lead researcher Anne Corbett, who is also the professor of dementia research at the University of Exeter, to Fox Digital.
“This has implications for public health, on the importance of including music in general education, and of keeping it up throughout life, or revisiting in mid to late life,” the expert continued.
1,107 people 40 and older who have not been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s were analyzed as part of the study. This cohort was part of the PROTECT study, a U.K. initiative that has been running since 2015 and focuses on dementia and brain health.
The data analyzed in the study was collected between March 2019 and March 2022. Those surveyed completed questionnaires in which they answered questions on their experience with music or musical instruments. The group also rated their levels of musical ability, be it playing instruments or singing.
The people analyzed were 83% female, with an average age of 67. This group also took online cognitive tests to assess their memory and mental functionality. Those who played an instrument were found to have better memories and cognitive skills when compared to those who did not.
The piano was shown to be the instrument that strengthened the brain the most. The longer the person played, the stronger the mental benefits that they enjoyed. People who sang also saw cognitive boosts, but the researchers insist that this could be tied to societal factors.
“Our findings indicate that learning and engaging with music can enhance the brain’s resilience in a similar way to learning a new language,” the study reads.
“Because of the scale of our study, and the information we have available, we were able to break down the results to look at the association from different types of musicality,” Corbett said. “Singing was associated with better executive function, which could be because of the social aspect of being in a choir.”
The study found that people who can read music have better numerical skills. While those who can play the keyboard saw a wide range of mental benefits. “We found no effect from listening to music alone – formal learning was key,” Corbett said.
Given their findings, the University of Exeter team recommended making music a key part of student’s curriculum, while also promoting more engagement with the art among adults, as a mechanism to strengthen people’s minds.”We think this could be incorporated into general lifestyle advice such as and being active, which is geared toward keeping our brains sharp in later life,” Corbett noted.
“Our findings indicate that learning and engaging with music can enhance the brain’s resilience in a similar way to learning a new language.”
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Read more on this study here – and start playing that instrument again!
https://www.irishstar.com/news/us-news/music-could-fight-dementia-study-32043376
Photo: From Dementia Awareness | Facebook page: dementia.awareness.every.day