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Turns Out Our Listening Habits Might Be Doing More Than Pleasing Our Ears…

I just came across a Monash University led study that I thought this community would appreciate, especially those of us who’ve racked up hundreds (…or thousands 😅) of hours spinning records, streaming playlists, and noodling on instruments over the years.

Researchers looked at 10,800+ adults aged 70+ and found some pretty striking correlations:

  • Regular music listening (“always”) = 39% lower risk of dementia
    (compared to folks who “never/rarely/sometimes” listen)
  • Playing an instrument = 35% lower dementia risk
  • Music listening also linked to a 17% lower rate of cognitive impairment and better overall cognition + episodic memory
  • Doing both listening + playing? 33% decreased dementia risk + 22% lower cognitive impairment.

The data came from the ASPREE and ALSOP studies, and while it can’t prove causation, the researchers point out that cognitive aging isn’t just genetics, lifestyle matters just as much. And it turns out music might be one of the most accessible, enjoyable “interventions” we have.

Professor Joanne Ryan summed it up nicely: as lifespans get longer, preventing or delaying dementia becomes critical and habits like listening to or playing music may support healthier brain aging.

So yeah…

All those hours we’ve spent chasing better sound, tweaking gear, and playing music might actually be doing our brains a favor.

Not a bad justification for the next upgrade either. 😉

Do you feel your listening sessions are mentally stimulating or “therapeutic”? Anyone here notice differences in focus, memory, or mood depending on how much you listen or play?

Happy listening and apparently, healthy listening too. 🎶🧠

lalitk
jrareform's avatar
jrareform
195 posts
 

@gents not working to make you feel better you mean?  Have you tried to explore outside of your comfort zone?  To be fair, it's not a cure all.  Life is full of ups and downs.  But when you're at peace, music reinforces that peace.  When you're full of energy and life, it reinforces that energy and life.  But if you're feeling down, it can also reinforce negative emotions as well.  It's an amplifier of our consciousness, not a panacea for negativity.  That part is up to us to work through.  Sometimes with professional help if needed
@toro3 thanks homie - glad my words resonated with you

mahgister's avatar
mahgister
15,052 posts
 

Some music are designed to more than just amplify what is there in us...

Some sounds are designed to instill new mode of consciousness, even in expert hand takes our consciousness out of our body (Robert Monroe Hemi-synch) ...

 

gents's avatar
gents
174 posts
 

jrareform

Thanks, but the comment was more about humor.

mahler123
4,042 posts
 

I wonder how the breakdown occurs by genre, or breadth of taste.  I know people who listen to music regularly but it might be the same twenty albums.  Does that stretch the neurons after 50 years of repetition, to the same extent that people who constantly are seeking out unfamiliar music?  

mclinnguy's avatar
mclinnguy
1,085 posts
 

I wonder how the breakdown occurs by genre, or breadth of taste.  I know people who listen to music regularly but it might be the same twenty albums.  Does that stretch the neurons after 50 years of repetition, to the same extent that people who constantly are seeking out unfamiliar music?  

@mahler123 

If listening to the same music repeatedly doesn’t have the same beneficial results they would be more prone to develop dementia, and then at some point they won’t recall their familiar music and it will be as if they listen to new music constantly, so I imagine in time they will catch up. 

As long as they recall how to play the music. 

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