Music might just be the most popular thing in the world, with evidence of its importance for humanity dating back some 35,000 years. However, while it’s no doubt an important part of our everyday lives for entertainment purposes, playing an instrument might be key in keeping us healthy.
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00:00Music might just be the most popular thing in the world with evidence of its
00:07importance for humanity dating back some 35,000 years. However, while it's no doubt
00:12an important part of our everyday lives for entertainment purposes, playing an
00:15instrument might be key in keeping us healthy. According to a new study from
00:19researchers at the University of Exeter in the UK, those who take part in musical
00:24activities perform better on cognitive tests after 40. The study looked at some
00:281,107 people in that age group, looking at whether they played an instrument or
00:33sang in a choir. They also surveyed their music listening habits, with the
00:37researchers finding that while music listening habits and musical taste didn't
00:40seem to have an effect on an individual's cognition, those who played
00:43an instrument or sang in a choir had significantly better performance in both
00:47working memory and executive function. With cognitive psychologist Ann Corbett
00:51saying about the results, quote, overall we think that being musical could be a
00:55way of harnessing the brain's agility and resilience, known as cognitive
00:59reserve. Cognitive reserve is a metric of resilience against age-related
01:03cognitive decline and is believed to help combat brain illnesses like
01:06Alzheimer's. The researchers add that of all the instruments, the piano and
01:10keyboard had the greatest correlation between instruments and improved
01:14cognition.