Music lessons may help keep the brain healthy as people grow older.
Music lessons may help keep the brain healthy as people grow older.
Researchers divided 70 healthy elders, aged 60 to 83 years, into three groups based on their amount of musical experience: no musical training, one to nine years of music lessons, and at least 10 years of musical study. More than half of those with a music background studied piano, about one-quarter played woodwind instruments such as the flute or clarinet, and others played string instruments, percussion or brass instruments.
The participants - who had similar fitness and education levels and were free of Alzheimer's disease - were given several mental tests. Those with the greatest amount of musical experience did best on these tests of mental sharpness, followed by those with less musical study and those who never took music lessons.
Compared to non-musicians, it was found that the people with a high degree of musical experience had much higher scores on the mental tests, including those related to visuospatial memory, naming objects, and the brain's ability to adapt to new information.
The benefits of music persisted even in those who no longer played an instrument. Musical activity throughout life may serve as a challenging mental exercise, making the brain fitter and more capable of accommodating the challenges of ageing.
Researchers divided 70 healthy elders, aged 60 to 83 years, into three groups based on their amount of musical experience: no musical training, one to nine years of music lessons, and at least 10 years of musical study. More than half of those with a music background studied piano, about one-quarter played woodwind instruments such as the flute or clarinet, and others played string instruments, percussion or brass instruments.
The participants - who had similar fitness and education levels and were free of Alzheimer's disease - were given several mental tests. Those with the greatest amount of musical experience did best on these tests of mental sharpness, followed by those with less musical study and those who never took music lessons.
Compared to non-musicians, it was found that the people with a high degree of musical experience had much higher scores on the mental tests, including those related to visuospatial memory, naming objects, and the brain's ability to adapt to new information.
The benefits of music persisted even in those who no longer played an instrument. Musical activity throughout life may serve as a challenging mental exercise, making the brain fitter and more capable of accommodating the challenges of ageing.
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