Grand Rapids Chiropractic weekly health news alert: The article explores the science behind playing a musical instrument and lowered dementia risks as you age.
Researchers had 70 people ages 60 to 83 perform a variety of tests to measure visuospatial memory, ability to name objects, the brain’s ability to adapt to new information […] those who had engaged in musical activity for 10 years or longer scored substantially better than those with no musical activity in their past. The longer people play instruments, the more benefits they may derive. All were amateurs who had started playing when they were 10 years old. The relationship between cognitive skills and years of musical activity held up whether the musicians were currently involved in making music or not.
Based on the article this research reveals a connection between musical instrument playing and cognitive ability, which doesn’t suggest a causation effect. Playing music with instruments is beneficial to the brain, but we are not sure why. There are parts of the brain of a pro musician that are different than a non-pro. This evidence suggests neuroplastic changes in the brain, triggered by playing a musical instrument. This alteration appears to be partly responsible for brain/cognitive function and also be neuroprotective.
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