August 08, 2025
Dr. Claude Alain from the Baycrest Academy for Research and Education, Canada, and Dr. Yi Du from the Chinese Academy of Sciences co-authored a recently published study that suggests long-term musical training may help older adults retain better cognitive function as they age. The researchers found that older musicians, whose connectivity pattern in bilateral auditory dorsal streams more closely resembled those of younger adults, were more successful at recognizing speech in noisy environments compared to non-musicians of the same age.
The study, titled
Long-term musical training can protect against age-related upregulation of neural activity in speech-in-noise perception, supports the idea that musical experience contributes to cognitive reserve, the brain’s ability to resist the effects of aging. This research sheds light on the powerful positive impact taking on a hobby – such as musical training or learning a language – can have on our cognitive health. Mentally enriching habits like musical training can strengthen the brain’s resilience.
The researchers note that future studies should investigate other source of reserve and may help inform preventive approaches to maintaining cognitive function in older adults.
Read more on Eureka Alert