Scientists find musical link to boosting brain function for life
Their brains worked more like younger people's brains
(Web Desk) - Learning to play a musical instrument can protect your brain from aging, building up a defense against cognitive decline that lasts a lifetime.
Researchers from Canada and China discovered older adults who had spent years playing music were better at understanding speech in noisy environments, like a crowded room, compared to those who didn't play music.
Their brains worked more like younger people's brains, needing less energy to focus than older non-musicians' brains had to use to make up for age-related mental declines.
Playing music was found to build up a person's 'cognitive reserve,' which is like a backup system in the brain.
This reserve helps the brain stay efficient and work more like a younger brain, even as someone grows older.
Years of music training strengthened connections between brain areas that handle hearing, movement, and speech, making it easier to process sounds in tough situations, like when it's hard to single out one voice in a crowd.
Researchers said their findings debunked the idea that older brains always need to work harder to compensate for aging.
Instead, regularly practicing an instrument for about 12 hours a week, regardless of how well you play, can build up a 'reserve' that keeps the brain from having the think too hard unnecessarily.
