Childhood music lessons may keep minds sharp in old age

Playing a musical instrument as a child might have mental benefits later in life, a new study suggests.

The study, published in the journal Psychology and Aging, found that musicians do marginally better on cognitive ability tests than those who didn’t play an instrument.

“Music can be such a joyful and enriching experience at all ages, regardless of expertise or musical genre,” Professor Katie Overy of the University of Edinburgh said.

“We are keen to investigate musical experience further, including music listening and singing, and we look forward to developing the new volunteer database.”

The study — funded by Age UK and the Economic and Social Research Council — included 420 participants who were born in 1936 in the Edinburgh and Lothian areas of Scotland.

Of those 420 people,167 had at least some experience playing a musical instrument, mainly the piano and primarily as a child or teenager, and 39 were still playing an instrument at 82 years old.

These participants were given tests to measure brainpower every three years, between the ages of 70 to 82.

Researchers at the University of Edinburgh and Edinburgh Napier University found that those with musical experience had a slight link to greater results in tests that looked at processing speed and visuospatial reasoning.

“We see these results as an exciting starting point for further investigation into how musical experience from across the life course might contribute to healthy aging,” lead author Dr. Judith Okely of Edinburgh Napier University said.

The results found that the association was still evident when other factors — such as childhood intelligence, education levels, smoking habits and physical activity levels — were taken into consideration, although researchers noted that these results did not prove that music lessons alone increased cognitive skills and ability as there could be undetermined factors that contributed.

However, the researchers in the fields of psychology and music said the findings did in fact show that playing a musical instrument when young could keep the mind sharp in old age.

The exact reasoning behind the link is unclear, but it’s believed that the mental abilities it takes to play an instrument, such as reading sheet music and coordinating hand movements, can strengthen neural connections in the brain and overall brain function.

Further research is necessary to conclude why these improvements occur and determine any long-term cognitive benefits.

Anyone over the age of 18 can join a database to participate in future studies.

Researchers are already planning other studies to explore further and are interested in hearing from people who have retired who might have musical experiences, including singing, dancing, performing, teaching and listening to music.