Music and brainan indissoluble bond that helps you feel better physically and psychologically. Learning to play as adults significantly improves the capabilities of our brain. This, in a nutshell, is the result of a study by the University of Exeter, which can be read in the scientific journal Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry.
Music and the brain: the idea for the research came from an Italian student
The fact that music is an elixir of youth for the brain is nothing new. Many studies have already confirmed over the years that just listening to a song we love can benefit our health.
Researchers at the British university are working on an online study called PROTECT. It is aimed at people who are at least forty years old. Over 25,000 volunteers participatedmonitored for ten years.
The experts focused on the effects they had thanks to musical experiences, with particular reference to those who decided to learn to play a musical instrument after the age of 40. The idea was launched by an Italian student, Gaia Veterewho attended medical courses at the University of Exeter.
Music and the brain: many studies on this beneficial relationship
Several studies had already confirmed the link between cognitive ability and knowing how to play a musical instrument. The most interesting study in this sense is a meta analysis who examined various research on the topic, discovering that playing a musical instrument reduces the risk of mild cognitive impairmentwhat doctors call mild cognitive impairment o MCI.
It’s never too late, you can start even after the age of 40
Returning to the study in question, the results demonstrated that those who learn to play even after the age of 40 you have a high chance not only of improving your memory, but also your executive functions. It is the ability to solve even complex problems.
What is meant by cognitive reserve?
The most suitable tools they are the piano and the drums, because you use both hands and feet, therefore they implement different mechanisms of the brain. In particular it acts on the cognitive reserve, i.e. on the the brain’s ability to cope with risks that increase the possibility of having neurological problems. To be clear, virtuous behaviors should be seen as bonuses to be spent throughout our lives.
Music and the brain: benefits also from singing
Research highlights that benefits also come from singing, although the researchers hypothesize that the positive effect here derives from the fact that it tends to be an activity that is done in a group. A 2016 research he had underlined how singing in a group significantly lowers stress levels, even in the presence of major illnesses such as cancer.