honing musical skills over extended periods reduces age-associated cognitive deterioration, researchers claim
In a groundbreaking study published in PLOS Biology, research has shown that playing a musical instrument, such as the guitar, can have significant cognitive benefits for individuals at any age, helping to slow brain aging and maintain brain health.
The study, conducted by researchers at the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing and Canada's Baycrest Academy for Research and Education, involved 25 older adults with no musical training, 25 with a lifetime of musical training, and 24 young non-musicians. They were tasked with identifying syllables amid background noise, and their brain activity was measured via functional MRI.
Key findings from the research include:
- **Preservation of cognitive function and brain structure**: Older musicians exhibited brain activity patterns that closely resembled those of younger adults, with stronger activity in the right hemisphere, which is crucial for auditory processing and understanding speech in noisy environments. This suggests that musical training builds a "cognitive reserve" that allows the brain to function more efficiently with age.
- **Brain activity patterns resembling younger adults**: The brain scans showed that older musicians had neural activity that was a predictor of better behavioral performance during the "speech-in-noise" tasks. This was in contrast to non-musicians who showed compensatory brain activity involving both hemispheres, indicating increased cognitive strain due to aging.
- **Benefits even when starting late in life**: The study found that starting to play an instrument in older adulthood can still provide protective effects on the brain, improving cognition and reducing decline.
- **Importance of hearing protection**: While the study highlights the benefits of playing a musical instrument, it also emphasizes the importance of protecting the vestibulocochlear nerve from loud music. The use of a good set of earplugs was recommended to protect hearing, particularly for those who play loud instruments like 100-watt Marshall amps or recreational metal guitar.
In summary, playing a musical instrument supports brain aging by strengthening neural networks involved in auditory processing, motor control, and working memory, maintaining brain volume in critical regions that typically decline with age, enhancing cognitive reserve that reduces the need for compensatory, effortful brain activity during cognitive tasks, and being effective even when started in later life, not only after decades of practice.
This research provides strong evidence that engaging in musical instrument practice, such as guitar playing, is a scientifically supported strategy to help preserve brain function and slow cognitive aging.
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- The groundbreaking study published in PLOS Biology supports the idea that playing guitar, like other musical instruments, can help combat aging by preserving cognitive function, especially in auditory processing and understanding speech in noisy environments.
- Researchers found that even individuals with no musical training who started playing guitar later in life can experience cognitive benefits and reduced brain decline, highlighting that it's never too late to start.
- One key finding from the study is that older guitarists exhibit brain activity patterns similar to younger adults, with stronger activation in the right hemisphere, which is essential for auditory processing.
- In contrast to non-musicians, older musicians display neural activity that predicts better behavioral performance during speech-in-noise tasks, showing a more efficient brain functioning with age.
- While the study emphasizes the advantages of playing guitar, it also underscores the necessity of hearing protection, recommending the use of good earplugs, especially for electric guitars playing loud music through powerful amps like a 100-watt Marshall amp.
- Engaging in musical instrument practices such as guitar playing supports brain health, offering a scientifically proven strategy to maintain cognitive abilities, and slow down the aging process.
