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Musical Training May Hold The Key To Fighting Age-Related Brain Decline
CANADA AND CHINA, JUL 15 – Lifelong musical training builds cognitive reserve that preserves brain function and helps older adults maintain youthful neural patterns during challenging listening tasks, study finds.
- Researchers from China and Canada published a July 15, 2025, study in PLOS Biology showing older musicians exhibit youthful brain patterns during speech-in-noise tasks.
- The study compared 74 participants, including 25 older musicians with over 32 years of training, to older non-musicians and young adults to investigate cognitive aging effects.
- Researchers found older musicians had less age-related neural overactivity and maintained brain connectivity similar to younger people, supporting the cognitive reserve theory.
- Dr. Lei Zhang emphasized that maintaining a positive lifestyle can enhance how older individuals manage the effects of cognitive decline, and it is always possible to begin and remain committed to an enjoyable activity like learning a musical instrument.
- These findings suggest long-term musical training may protect against age-related brain decline, indicating potential interventions for preserving cognitive function in aging populations.
16 Articles
16 Articles
Playing a musical instrument keeps the brain young and slows down the decline in the ability to perceive the speech you are facing with age (ANSA)
The Independent
The Independent (US)Playing an instrument may help protect brain against ageing, study finds
Older musicians show more ‘youth-like’ brain patterns and better hearing in noisy places, researchers find
Musical Training May Hold The Key To Fighting Age-Related Brain Decline
Older musicians’ brains process speech more like young adults — hinting that lifelong musical training could help fight age-related decline The post Musical Training May Hold The Key To Fighting Age-Related Brain Decline appeared first on Study Finds.
Scientists Say Learning Music Can Reverse Brain Aging, Even in Older Adults
Recent research indicates that older adults who play musical instruments tend to have healthier brains. One investigation examined the impacts of decades of music practice, while another focused on learning new instruments later in life. In both studies, engaging in music was linked to better brain health and a decrease in age-related cognitive decline. The [...] The post Scientists Say Learning Music Can Reverse Brain Aging, Even in Older Adult…
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