HUFFPOST – A recent study found that older adults who regularly listen to or play music have a significantly lower risk of developing dementia.
A research team from Monash University in Australia looked at data from more than 10,800 adults over the age of 70 and found that those who listened to music most days experienced a 39% lower likelihood of developing dementia compared with those who sometimes, rarely or never listened to music.
Those frequent music listeners had a 17% lower incidence of cognitive impairment, along with higher overall cognitive scores and better episodic memory (used when we recall specific, everyday events).
Playing an instrument ― including singing ― was associated with a 35% reduction in dementia risk. Those who both listened to and played music on a regular basis had a 33% reduced risk of dementia and a 22% reduced risk of cognitive impairment.
For older adults worried about dementia ― a disease that affects 7 million people and is becoming more common as life expectancy increases ― turning on some music is an easy, low-effort way to ease a bit of that anxiety.
Although the topic is still relatively underexplored, the study’s co-authors have several hypotheses — supported by earlier research — about why music might stimulate the brain.
“We know that listening to music engages multiple brain areas at once, acting like a full-brain workout,” said Emma Jaffa, a biomedical science Monash honors student who co-authored the study with Joanne Ryan, a professor of biological neuropsychiatry at Monash …
