Dubai, United Arab Emirates – A new scientific study has revealed that learning to play a musical instrument can form a shield. This protects the brain from the effects of aging.
This is done by enhancing what is known as the “knowledge reserve.” It is a brain mechanism that helps maintain mental efficiency with age.
The study, conducted in collaboration between researchers from Canada and China, found that older adults who had played music for many years showed a better ability to understand speech in noise. This was in comparison to their non-musical peers.
Musicians’ brains work as well as young people’s
Functional magnetic resonance imaging has shown that the brains of elderly musicians function as efficiently as those of younger people.
It needed less energy to process sounds. Which suggests that musical training enhances brain plasticity and reduces the need to compensate for normal age-related decline.
According to researchers, long-term musical training strengthens the connections between areas of the brain responsible for hearing, movement and speech.
Which makes it easier for the brain to distinguish sounds in noisy environments.
“Just as a perfect instrument doesn’t need to be played loudly to be heard, the brains of elderly musicians remain disciplined and efficient thanks to years of training,” said Dr. Yi Du of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
