Doing This Highly Enjoyable Activity Every Day Could Lower Your Dementia Risk, A Study Reveals
Whether you strum a guitar like Bruce Springsteen, play a Beethoven piano concerto, or sing along with the Beatles, a study by researchers in Australia suggests you’re reducing your likelihood of developing dementia.
The research team at Monash University found that older adults who regularly listen to music, play an instrument, or sing may be boosting their brain health. For their study, published in the International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, the researchers examined the relationship between cognitive health in adults over 70 and listening to music and playing instruments.
The investigators reviewed data on more than 10,800 adults aged 70 and older enrolled in a long-term study on aging and health. The researchers collected information about the participants’ lifestyle, including whether they listened to music or played an instrument. None of the participants had Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia at the beginning of the study. The older adults were followed for about seven years and underwent medical exams and cognitive tests every year.
The investigators found that older adults who said they listened to music on most days had a 39 percent lower risk of developing dementia compared with participants who said they sometimes, rarely, or never listened to music.
Additionally, people who often enjoyed music had a 17 percent lower chance of cognitive issues, scored higher on overall cognitive tests, and had better episodic memory when recalling daily events.
“Evidence suggests that brain aging is not just based on age and genetics but can be influenced by one’s own environmental and lifestyle choices,” Joanne Ryan, the study’s senior author and head of the Biological Neuropsychiatry and Dementia research unit in Monash’s School of Public Health, said in a news release. “Our study suggests that lifestyle-based interventions, such as listening to and/or playing music can promote cognitive health.”
Along with listening to music, the researchers discovered that playing an instrument offers mental health advantages. For example, the study found that playing an instrument, as well as singing, was associated with a 35 percent lower risk of dementia. Also, older adults who enjoyed both listening to and playing music often had a 33 percent lower chance of developing dementia, and a 22 percent lower risk of experiencing cognitive impairment.
Although researchers are still learning a lot about the topic, the study’s co-authors have ideas—backed by earlier studies—about why music might stimulate the brain.
“We know that listening to music engages multiple brain areas at once, acting like a full-brain workout,” Emma Jaffa, a biomedical science Monash honors student who co-authored the study, told HuffPost. “Previous studies show it improves processing speed, language, memory, and coordination. Plus, it often involves socializing with others, which helps protect brain health.”
The study felt personal for Jaffa because she is a bass player and singer herself. She told HuffPost that she appreciates “tangible research,” which has practical applications and can help people.
“I think that’s what drew me to this topic,” Jaffa said. “It was the combination of a hobby and the possibility of delivering actionable insights to others.”
The most common question Jaffa said she’s asked about the study is, “Are certain music genres more beneficial than others?”
Jaffa doesn’t have a definitive answer because the study participants weren’t asked that question. However, Jaffa said answering that question is definitely on her future research agenda, along with determining whether music can reduce the risk of cognitive decline for people under 70.
The authors noted that this was an observational study that identified only an association, but does not prove cause and effect.
Other Studies On Music Confirm Cognitive Benefits
Previous studies have suggested that lifelong exposure to music, whether by playing an instrument or singing with others, can help build connections between brain cells. In addition, some studies suggest that older adults who continue to play music have better executive function, which helps them complete tasks and suppress inappropriate behaviors. What’s more, current and former musicians tend to do better on tests of language, attention, and processing speed compared with older adults who have never played music.
According to The Fisher Center for Alzheimer’s Research Foundation, music may also help older adults who already experience serious memory issues. For example, it’s been shown that nursing home residents with dementia who listened to their favorite music, often from their earlier years, showed fewer signs of agitation and aggression compared to those who did not listen to music.
Currently, there is no cure for dementia, a general term for a loss of memory, thinking, and reasoning skills that is severe enough to disrupt daily life. Dementia is also an umbrella term for a range of neurological conditions that affect the brain and worsen over time. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia.
Although many factors determine who ultimately develops Alzheimer’s disease, the study by the Monash University researchers adds to growing evidence that music benefits the brain.
In addition to music, having a sense of purpose can help make the brain more resilient and reduce the risk of dementia, according to a 2025 study published in the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry. Other research-backed ways to keep the brain sharp while aging include moderate to vigorous exercise, socializing with others, and doing everyday chores.
“With no cure currently available for dementia, the importance of identifying strategies to help prevent or delay onset of the disease is critical,” Ryan said in a news release.
Story Links:
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/listening-to-music-every-day-lower-dementia-risk-goog_l_6a73dc7be4b04fcbf74d2656
https://www.alzinfo.org/articles/research/listening-to-music-may-cut-dementia-risk/
https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/musical-engagement-may-help-lower-dementia-risk
https://www.monash.edu/medicine/news/latest/2025-articles/music-can-stave-off-dementia-by-up-to-40-per-cent,-monash-study-finds
