Music Listening Linked To 39% Lower Dementia Risk In Older Adults

Australian researchers found that older adults who regularly listen to music show a 39% reduced risk of developing dementia compared to non-listeners. The study tracked over 10,000 adults aged 70 and older for approximately one decade. Among 10,893 participants, roughly 7,000 reported daily music listening and demonstrated the greatest dementia risk reduction. “We found that in that time period, they performed better, consistently better, on the tasks of memory and also on a global cognitive function test,” said senior researcher Joanne Ryan from Monash University’s Biological Neuropsychiatry and Dementia unit. Playing music also provided benefits, cutting dementia risk by about 35%. The study cannot prove direct causation between music and dementia prevention, but suggests music activates multiple brain regions and builds neural pathway resilience. (Story URL)