Playing a musical instrument could help protect the brain against age-related decline, new research has suggested.
Older adults with long-term musical training performed better at understanding speech in noisy environments and showed brain connectivity patterns closer to younger people, according to a study published in the journal PLOS Biology.
Researchers from Baycrest Academy for Research and Education in Canada and the Chinese Academy of Sciences used functional MRI scans to compare brain activity in 25 older musicians, 25 older non-musicians and 24 young non-musicians.
The participants were asked to identify syllables masked by background noise, a task that typically becomes harder with age.
While older non-musicians showed the usual age-related increase in neural activity and connectivity – a sign that the brain is working harder to compensate for decline – older musicians maintained a more “youth-like” pattern.
The strength of connections in certain brain networks also correlated with better performance on the speech-in-noise task, the study found.
Older adults with long-term musical training performed better at understanding speech in noisy environments and showed brain connectivity patterns closer to younger people (Getty Images)
The findings support what the researchers call the “Hold-Back Upregulation” hypothesis. This is when the cognitive reserve built through musical training helps the brain hold onto its younger functional features, instead of simply compensating for loss.
Dr Yi Du, co-author of the study, said: “Just like a well-tuned instrument doesn’t need to be played louder to be heard, the brains of older musicians stay finely tuned thanks to years of training.
“Our study shows that this musical experience builds cognitive reserve, helping their brains avoid the usual age-related overexertion when trying to understand speech in noisy places.”
The authors said that although the study cannot prove cause and effect, it adds to growing evidence that positive lifestyle choices, such as musical training, higher education and bilingualism, can help the brain cope better with ageing.
Dr Lei Zhang, another co-author, added: “A positive lifestyle helps older adults cope better with cognitive ageing, and it is never too late to take up, and stick with, a rewarding hobby such as learning an instrument.”
The scientists are now planning to explore whether other activities, such as exercise and multilingualism, could offer similar benefits.