Can Piano Lessons Be Key to Preventing Dementia?

Dementia is used to describe things like the loss of memory, problem-solving, and more. There are many types of dementia like Alzheimer’s, Vascular Dementia, and more. The damage to the brain cells causes this. Different types of brain cell damage are associated with different types of dementia. For example, in Alzheimer’s, a build-up of protein can prevent brain cells from communicating with each other. There are risk factors for dementia like age and genetics and age, however, those are factors that cannot be changed easily. So the question of how can we combat against getting disorder arises. The practice of music has been a topic of interest in preventing dementia. 

In Nina Kraus and Travis White-Schwoch’s article “The Argument for Music Education” different articles imply that there is a connection between playing an instrument and neuroplasticity, which is how the brain changes to what it is going through, like when we learn something for example, the wiring of our brain can change in response to that. In the news article, “Can Playing an instrument help protect you from Dementia?” A study found that people who were 40 and older and had played an instrument or even sang had better executive function. These activities could be a way to preserve brain health in people, especially in light of diseases like dementia. In another article, “Can Music help train our brains to delay cognitive decline” they discussed a study by which intensive music playing can slow down the loss of gray matter in the brain so that it can maintain its plasticity, by doing this, it is possible to prevent the brain from degenerating. 

With all these benefits from playing music, it can help to prevent our brain from degenerating and for it to be strong, and there are many other benefits as well. More research is to be don on this connection. 

Works Cited:

Berman, Robby. “Cognitive Decline: Can Practicing Music Help Prevent It?” Medical News Today, MediLexicon International, www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/can-music-help-train-our-brains-to-delay-cognitive-decline#Differences-between-playing-and-listening-to-musi. Accessed 1 May 2024.

Marshall, Mallika. “Can Playing an Instrument Help Protect You from Developing Dementia?” CBS News, CBS Interactive, 5 Feb. 2024, www.cbsnews.com/boston/news/playing-an-instrument-developing-dementia-university-of-exeter/

Garrison, Amelia. “How Music Prevents Cognitive Decline.” Pacific Neuroscience Institute, 18 Jan. 2022, www.pacificneuroscienceinstitute.org/blog/alzheimers-disease/how-music-prevents-cognitive-decline/ 

“What Is Dementia?” Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia, www.alz.org/alzheimers-dementia/what-is-dementia. Accessed 1 May 2024.