As we age, the brain naturally atrophies and experiences cognitive decline. A new study suggests that listening to music and playing musical instruments may improve cognitive function in healthy older people.
Working memory is particularly affected by age. That is, the ability to temporarily retain information before using it to achieve a goal. An example of working memory is remembering a phone number long enough to write it down. Functional MRI shows that working memory is supported by the same parts of the brain affected by age-related atrophy.
Brain plasticity or neuroplasticity is the brain’s ability to reconfigure and rewire itself in response to environment and experience. It’s a process that happens throughout our lives. Neuroplasticity declines with age, but it does not disappear. The aging brain still has considerable plasticity in the form of cognitive reserve and the ability to resist neural injury.
So how can healthy older adults improve neuroplasticity and prevent cognitive decline? have shown differences in brain structure and function in young people with Studies have also shown that musical training shifts to working memory, with musicians having improved working memory compared to non-musicians.
Researchers at the University of Geneva tested the hypothesis that music may similarly have a positive effect on working memory in older adults, thereby protecting the brain from age-related decline.
They enrolled 132 healthy retirees between the ages of 62 and 78 into the study. Participants were selected only if they had not taken music lessons for more than 6 months in their life.
“We wanted people whose brains had yet to show signs of plasticity associated with music learning,” said Damien Murray, lead author of the study. , could have left a mark in the brain, which would have biased our results.”
Participants were randomly divided into two groups. The first took her hour-long piano training and was asked to practice at least 30 minutes for her at home, five days a week. They learned how to play the piano with both hands, read sheet music, and improvise. The second group received active listening lessons that included analyzing different genres of music, learning how to identify different instruments, and music history and theory.
Both groups underwent psychometric testing and underwent MRI to assess brain changes.
“After six months, we saw common effects for both interventions,” said Clara James, the study’s corresponding author. All participants revealed an increase in gray matter in four regions of the brain involved in high-level cognitive function, and their performance improved by 6%, a result directly correlated with cerebellar plasticity. I did.”
The cerebellum is at the back of the head, just above and behind where the spinal cord joins the brain. It makes up about 10% of the total brain weight but contains up to 80% of the neurons. Gray matter, which is abundant in the cerebellum, processes information and controls movement, memory, and emotions.
Researchers found differences between the two groups. The piano-learning group had stable amounts of gray matter in the right primary auditory cortex, a key area for sound processing. In contrast, it decreased in the active listening group.
Unfortunately, there is no evidence of an overall reduction in brain atrophy, suggesting that music affects only certain parts of the brain.
“[A] A global brain pattern of atrophy was seen in all participants,” Marie said. only.”
Nevertheless, the results of this study show that practicing and listening to music increases brain plasticity and cognitive reserve. Researchers say that in an aging population, incorporating accessible interventions, such as learning to play a musical instrument, is critical to maintaining the health of that population.
Next, researchers plan to evaluate the effects of music on the brains of people with mild cognitive impairment, a stage between normal aging and dementia.
The study was published in a journal Neuroimage: Reports.
Source: University of Geneva
