Photo source: Wikimedia Commons.
In Friday’s (12/5) Limelight (Australia), Jason Blake writes, “A major new study led by researchers at Monash University [Melbourne, Australia] suggests that older adults who regularly listen to music may enjoy a significantly lower risk of dementia—and better cognitive health—in later life. The research, drawing on data from more than 10,800 Australians aged 70 and older enrolled in the ASPREE study and its follow-up sub-study, ALSOP study, found that daily musical engagement correlates with a marked reduction in dementia incidence. The authors—Monash honors student Emma Jaffa and Professor Joanne Ryan—looked at the benefits of listening to music or playing music in people aged over 70, finding that always listening to music compared with never/rarely/sometimes listening to music was associated with a 39 percent decreased risk of dementia. Playing an instrument was associated with a 35 percent reduction in dementia risk…. This new evidence positions music not just as a source of pleasure but as a potential public-health ally for older adults seeking to maintain cognitive resilience over time.”
