In Tuesday’s (10/4) Wall Street Journal, Ann Lukits writes, “A lifetime of playing and practicing a musical instrument protects the brain’s ability to detect and process sound, resulting in better hearing as people age, according to a study in Psychology and Aging. Moderate hearing loss affects 30% of people by the age of 60, but a growing body of research suggests cognitively demanding activities can delay the effects of aging. Using a soundproof room, Toronto researchers tested 74 musicians and 89 non-musicians on their ability to detect brief gaps in sound, speech in a noisy background, different sound frequencies and increasingly quieter tones called pure-tone thresholds. Subjects ranged from 18 to 91 years old. Musicians had played an instrument since the age of 16. Non-musicians had no more than two years of music lessons and didn’t play an instrument. Musicians were significantly better than non-musicians at distinguishing sound frequencies, sound gaps and speech amid noise, tasks associated with auditory processing in the brain.”
Posted October 5, 2011
