Experience of playing musical instruments in childhood helps to improve cognition in old age
Enter 2023.08.22 19:45 Views 146 Enter 2023.08.22 19:45 Edit 2023.08.22 17:04 Views 146
A study has found that people who have played musical instruments as children have higher cognitive and thinking skills in their old age. [사진=게티이미지뱅크]A study has found that people who have played musical instruments as children have higher cognitive and thinking skills in their old age.
Dr. Judith Oakley’s team at the University of Napier, Edinburgh, England, studied 420 elderly people born in 1936. 167 of them had experience playing an instrument, 39 of whom played an instrument until the age of 82. Most people primarily played the piano, and many had experience playing as children or teenagers.
As a result of measuring the subjects’ intelligence every 3 years from the age of 70 to 82, those who had experience playing a musical instrument processed information faster and performed better on the visuospatial ability test. This suggests that people who have played an instrument have a faster brain than those who have not.
Even after considering variables that can affect intelligence, such as childhood intelligence, education period, smoking status, and physical activity, musical instrument playing had a significant effect on cognitive ability in old age.
People with more, less, and no music experiences all showed similar reductions in cognitive decline between the ages of 70 and 82. Although the experience of playing musical instruments did not reduce the speed of cognitive decline, it contributed to helping to improve cognition itself and enabling agile mental power.
Meanwhile, the researchers believe that additional research is needed to recommend music lessons as a way to improve people’s cognitive abilities. This is because other benefits experienced in childhood may have influenced the results of the study.
The study was published in the journal ‘Psychology and Aging’ under the title ‘Cognitive aging and experience of playing a musical instrument’.
◆ Article help: Choi Hye-rim, intern reporter
2023-08-22 10:48:55
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