Older people with this habit are at 39% lower risk of developing dementia
Oct 29, 2025
|
A research team at Monash University in Australia published the results of a study of more than 10,800 elderly people in the United States and Australia in the journal 『International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry』.
According to the study, those who listened to music 'always' had a 39% lower risk of developing dementia compared to those who did not listen 'sometimes' or 'at all'. In addition, the incidence of cognitive decline, such as memory, reasoning ability, and problem-solving ability, decreased by 17%, and scored higher in the ability to remember everyday events.
Not only listening to music but also playing musical instruments had a positive effect on brain health.
People who played musical instruments regularly had a 35% lower risk of dementia, and when both listening to music and playing musical instruments were practiced, the risk of dementia decreased by 33% and the risk of cognitive impairment decreased by 22%.
This study shows that simple leisure activities can be of practical help in maintaining brain health in old age.
Professor Joanne Ryan, who led the study, said, `Music is an accessible and enjoyable pastime and can be an effective strategy for maintaining cognitive functioning in older adults," he stressed.
However, there is a limitation in that it is a small observational study.
The research team said "The causal relationship is still unknown"We need extensive research for a long time in the future."
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
