Musical engagement may help lower dementia risk
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- Reviewed by Robert H. Shmerling, MD, Senior Faculty Editor, Harvard Health Publishing; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing
Frequently listening to music or playing an instrument may help lower the risk of developing dementia, suggests a study published in the October 2025 issue of the International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry.
Researchers identified more than 10,800 adults ages 70 and older who had enrolled in a large health study that gathered information about their lifestyle, including whether they listened to music or played an instrument. Participants, who did not have dementia at the start of the study, underwent annual cognitive tests.
Over the course of the next seven years, people who listened to music most days or played a musical instrument at least once a week had a 39% and 35% lower risk of developing dementia, respectively, than those who did neither. Additionally, people who listened to music daily had higher overall cognitive and memory scores. (The study did not explore the types of music people listened to or how long they listened each day.)
Interestingly, people who both listened to music and played an instrument regularly had no additional benefit compared to those who listened to music without playing an instrument.
Although the study identified only an association, these results suggest that music-related activities could offer another strategy to help combat cognitive decline.
Image: © Halfpoint Images/Getty Images
About the Author
Matthew Solan, Former Executive Editor, Harvard Men's Health Watch
About the Reviewer
Robert H. Shmerling, MD, Senior Faculty Editor, Harvard Health Publishing; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing
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