Study shows that regularly listening to music or playing an instrument lowers dementia risk
A study published in the International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry has shown that people aged 70+ who regularly listen to music or play an instrument have a lower risk of developing dementia.
The study was led by researchers at Australia’s Monash University, who analysed data from 10,893 Australians who were 70+ and dementia-free when they were recruited to the study. The researchers examined how frequently participants engaged with music, by either listening to or playing it, and tracked dementia diagnoses over time. Always listening to music lowered risk by 39%, whilst playing an instrument was shown to reduce risk by 35%.
Professor Joanne Ryan from Monash University says:
“Evidence suggests that brain ageing is not just based on age and genetics but can be influenced by one’s own environmental and lifestyle choices. Our study suggests that lifestyle-based interventions, such as listening to and/or playing music can promote cognitive health.”
Read the study here: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/gps.70163