Instrumental play might activate a protective response against cognitive decline
In a groundbreaking study, researchers have discovered compelling evidence that playing a musical instrument can help mitigate age-related decline in brain function, particularly in speech processing. The study, titled "Playing an instrument may strike a chord against cognitive aging," was originally published by Cosmos and later published in PLOS Biology.
The research involved 75 participants, comprising 25 older musicians, 25 older non-musicians, and 24 young non-musicians. Participants were asked to identify syllables that were masked by noise sounds, with the results suggesting that older musicians demonstrated a connectivity strength in the right hemisphere of the brain that resembled young non-musicians, and showed brain activity patterns more similar to younger adults when processing speech, especially in noisy environments.
The study supports the Cognitive Reserve Theory, which posits that engaging in mentally stimulating activities builds up a reserve of brain resources that can help compensate for age-related decline and delay the onset of impairment. Dr Yi Du, co-author of the study, suggests that years of musical training help older musicians' brains avoid age-related overexertion when understanding speech in noisy places.
Dr Lei Zhang, lead author of the study, emphasises that a positive lifestyle, such as learning an instrument, can help older adults cope with cognitive aging. The researchers found that older musicians had reduced age-related decline in speech-in-noise processing compared to older non-musicians.
Moreover, the study found that lifelong or continued practice protects specific brain areas. MRI studies show musicians preserve gray matter volume in brain regions like the putamen and sustain higher cerebellar activity, which are important for cognitive and verbal working memory tasks. Interestingly, benefits extend even if training starts later in life.
The authors of the study confirmed that years of education did not significantly influence the study's behavioral or neural measures. The auditory dorsal system, which includes auditory and frontal motor areas of the brain, has two important roles in speech processing. This research could help develop interventions for aging populations to preserve cognitive function, with further research into different cognitive tasks like memory and attention.
The study was a collaboration between researchers at the Chinese Academy of Science and the Baycrest Academy for Research and Education in Canada. The findings offer hope that playing a musical instrument can help maintain speech processing and other cognitive functions despite typical age-related decline.
The study, titled "Playing an instrument may strike a chord against cognitive aging," suggests that engaging in activities like learning an instrument, especially musical training, could help older adults cope with cognitive aging, such as age-related decline in speech-in-noise processing. Additionally, the findings indicate that lifelong or continued practice of playing a musical instrument can protect specific brain areas, like the putamen and the cerebellum, which are important for cognitive and verbal working memory tasks, potentially delaying age-related decline in these areas.
