New research suggests a simple, enjoyable activity – listening to music – may substantially reduce the risk of developing dementia. A decade-long study of over 10,000 Australians aged 70 and older, published in October, found that those who regularly listened to music experienced a 39% reduction in dementia risk. The findings add to a growing body of evidence highlighting the potential for lifestyle interventions to support cognitive health as populations age globally.
Regularly listening to music may be linked to a lower risk of developing dementia, a new study suggests. This finding highlights the potential role of lifestyle factors in maintaining cognitive health as people age.
The research, published in October, analyzed data collected over a decade from more than 10,000 generally healthy individuals aged 70 and older in Australia. Participants who listened to music most days of the week experienced a 39% reduction in dementia risk compared to those who did not regularly engage with music, the study found.
Music is good for the brain, research indicates Foto: Sergey Novikov/Adobe Stock
The ASPREE Longitudinal Study of Older Persons tracked participants to investigate factors associated with the risk of developing various diseases—and the extent to which lifestyle changes might make a difference.
“Music was one of the areas we were interested in,” said Joanne Ryan, head of the Neuropsychiatric Biological and Dementia Research Unit at the University of Monash School of Public Health and senior researcher on the new study.
Researchers collected annual data from participants and their healthcare providers, and trained professionals conducted cognitive function assessments.
Of the 10,893 participants, those who reported listening to music most days—a total of 7,030 individuals—showed the greatest reduction in dementia risk compared to those who engaged with music less frequently. The study did not specify the type of music listened to.
“They also had a lower risk of more general cognitive decline,” Ryan explained. “And we also found that, over this period, they performed better—consistently better—on memory tasks and also on a global test of cognitive function.”
Ryan emphasized that this is an observational study and cannot definitively prove that listening to music *caused* the reduction in cognitive decline risk. Other factors associated with the habit of listening to music could explain the difference. However, she described the results as striking.
“If we take our findings in light of other research that’s already been done,” Ryan commented, “we think there could be a really direct link.” She pointed to the extensive body of research demonstrating that music can improve mood and stimulate various areas of the brain, which benefits cognitive function.
“I’ve actually started listening to music more myself,” Ryan said. “I would encourage people to listen to music, because if it’s something they enjoy and also stimulates the brain, why not?”
What Happens in the Brain When We Listen to Music
At the Princeton University Music Cognition Lab, researchers have been studying what happens in people’s brains when they listen to music. They’ve found that multiple parts of the brain are activated, including motor areas, sensory areas, regions that process emotions, and those involved in imagining or daydreaming. This complex brain activity may be key to music’s power to improve brain health.
“One of the things that seems to be really important is simply getting all of these areas talking to each other in meaningful ways,” explained Elizabeth Margulis, director of the lab and a trained pianist, who was not involved in the new study. “That’s something that music is exceptionally good at.”
Margulis highlighted that the study’s conclusion applies to both listening to and playing music. There was a slightly smaller benefit associated with regularly playing music—a 35% reduction in dementia risk—though researchers suspect this is because the group of people who play music regularly is smaller than the group who simply listen.
One takeaway is that learning an instrument isn’t necessary to benefit from engaging with music, although research has shown that taking lessons can increase gray matter in the brain, even in people who aren’t particularly skilled.
Music also has a transportive quality, Margulis noted. If you hear a song you first heard at a certain point in life, you can be transported back to that time—especially music you listened to during adolescence.
“That tends to be the music people remember most and associate with the most memories,” Margulis said. She added that adolescence is often a period when people are defining who they are, giving that music special significance.
This effect can be observed even in people experiencing cognitive decline or diseases like Alzheimer’s.
“They may not recognize themselves in the mirror, not know where they are or how they got there, but you put on a song from when they were 14 and they reconnect with that self they had lost,” noted neuroscientist and musician Daniel Levitin, who also was not involved in the new research.
Anecdotally, Margulis said the effect seems to last for some time even after the music stops. “They become a little more present, a little more able to interact,” she noted.
Music as Medicine
Levitin authored a new book, I Heard There Was A Secret Chord: Music As Medicine, compiling research on how music can be used as therapy for issues like depression, pain, and neurological disorders like Parkinson’s.
“Listening to music is neuroprotective,” Levitin stated, explaining that it increases resilience and protects the brain by creating new neural pathways. “It’s a myth that you don’t grow new neurons—throughout your life, you’re creating new connections.”
Levitin added that while listening to music from the past can bring memories and comfort, there’s also benefit in listening to new music and challenging yourself. He also encourages people to play music.
“You can start playing an instrument at any age, and you don’t have to be Herbie Hancock,” Levitin said. He recalled giving his grandmother a keyboard on her 80th birthday and watching her practice almost every day until she died at age 97. Levitin said that for him, playing music brings an immersive joy.
“When I’m lucky, I disappear and the music takes over,” he reflected. But he emphasized that simply being around music—whether listening or playing—shows benefits. And it’s something that’s accessible to almost everyone. “That’s the beautiful thing,” Margulis assessed, about how accessible music is to all.
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