The simple hobby scientists say boosts brain function for life

"Learning to play a musical instrument can protect your brain from aging, building up a defense against cognitive decline that lasts a lifetime. Researchers from Canada and China discovered older adults who had spent years playing music were better at understanding speech in noisy environments, like a crowded room, compared to those who didn't play music. Their brains worked more like younger people's brains, needing less energy to focus than older non-musicians' brains had to use to make up for age-related mental declines."

"Playing music was found to build up a person's 'cognitive reserve,' which is like a backup system in the brain. This reserve helps the brain stay efficient and work more like a younger brain, even as someone grows older. Years of music training strengthened connections between brain areas that handle hearing, movement, and speech, making it easier to process sounds in tough situations, like when it's hard to single out one voice in a crowd."

"Instead, regularly practicing an instrument for about 12 hours a week, regardless of how well you play, can build up a 'reserve' that keeps the brain from having the think too hard unnecessarily. Dr Yi Du from the Chinese Academy of Sciences told BBC Science Focus: 'Just like a well-tuned instrument doesn't need to be played louder to be heard, the brains of older musicians stay finely tuned thanks to years of training.'"

Learning to play a musical instrument protects the brain from aging by building a cognitive reserve that defends against lifelong cognitive decline. Older adults with years of music training understand speech in noisy settings better and show brain activity patterns resembling younger people, using less effort to focus. Long-term practice strengthens connections among auditory, motor, and speech regions, improving processing in challenging listening environments such as crowded rooms. Regular practice of about 12 hours per week, regardless of performance level, accumulates reserve that prevents older brains from needing excessive compensatory activity. Adults who never practiced show increased task-induced connectivity indicating extra effort.

Read at Mail Online