Listening to music can reduce dementia risk, study reveals

Listening to music into old age could reduce the risk of dementia by almost 40 per cent, a new study has found.

It’s based on data from 10,893 Australians aged 70 or older who, at recruitment, were living in retirement communities and had no dementia diagnosis. They were asked about music listening habits and whether they played an instrument.

People who “always” listened to music (as opposed to never, rarely or sometimes) were 39 per cent less likely to develop dementia after at least three years of follow-up.

These regular listeners were also 17 per cent less likely to develop milder cognitive impairments — problems with memory, thinking and decision-making — and performed better on tests of general cognition and episodic memory (recalling everyday events such as where the car was parked or what was eaten for breakfast).

The research was led by Monash University in Australia.

Those who regularly played an instrument were 35 per cent less likely to develop dementia, but — unlike in some other studies — showed no significant improvement for other cognitive impairments.

People who both listened to and played music had a 33 per cent reduced dementia risk, and a 22 per cent reduced risk for unrelated cognitive impairments. Education level appeared to influence the effect.

The authors noted: “Music engagement benefits were strongest in those with higher education (16+ years) but showed inconsistent results in the middle education group (12–15 years).”

Public health researcher Emma Jaffa, the paper’s lead author at Monash University, said these results suggest “music activities may be an accessible strategy for maintaining cognitive health in older adults, though causation cannot be established.”

While researchers cannot confirm whether listening to music definitively staves off dementia, hearing loss is a known risk factor and studies show hearing aids can reduce cognitive decline.

“Listening to music activates a whole range of regions across your brain,” Monash University neuropsychiatric epidemiologist and senior author Joanne Ryan said in a radio interview, “and so that’s really giving you that cognitive stimulation, which is beneficial to help reduce your risk of dementia.”