GENEVA, SWITZERLAND — A recent study conducted by the University of Geneva, HES-SO Geneva, and EPFL suggests that practicing and listening to music may help delay cognitive decline in healthy seniors by promoting the production of grey matter.
Grey matter, which contains neurons, is essential for cognitive functioning. The study involved over 100 retired individuals who had not previously played music, and were enrolled in piano and music awareness training for six months. The findings reveal that music training improved brain plasticity and increased grey matter volume, positively impacting working memory.
Brain Benefits of Music Training
As we age, brain plasticity decreases, resulting in brain atrophy and cognitive decline. Working memory, a critical cognitive function, is one of the most affected by this decline. The research showed that music practice and active listening may prevent working memory decline and promote brain plasticity, increasing grey matter volume in four brain regions associated with high-level cognitive functioning, including cerebellum areas involved in working memory.
Participants in the study were randomly assigned to two groups: piano practice and active listening. Both interventions were associated with an increase in grey matter, a 6% improvement in performance, and positive impacts on sleep quality, training quantity, and the number of lessons followed. However, the pianist group showed more stable grey matter volume in the right primary auditory cortex, while it decreased in the active listening group.
‘‘After six months, we found common effects for both interventions. Neuroimaging revealed an increase in grey matter in four brain regions involved in high-level cognitive functioning in all participants, including cerebellum areas involved in working memory. Their performance increased by 6% and this result was directly correlated to the plasticity of the cerebellum”
–Clara James, Professor at Geneva School of Health Sciences
The results indicate that playing and listening to music can help promote brain plasticity and cognitive reserve, suggesting that these interventions should become a major policy priority for healthy aging.
The next step for the researchers is to evaluate the potential of these interventions in people with mild cognitive impairment, an intermediate stage between normal aging and dementia.
- Reference:
“Music interventions in 132 healthy older adults enhance cerebellar grey matter and auditory working memory, despite general brain atrophy” by Damien Marie et al. Neuroimage: Reports
Source: Univ. of Geneva
