A recent study published in PLOS Biology suggests that playing music for many years may help older adults retain their ability to understand speech in noisy environments. The research, led by Claude Alain of the Baycrest Academy for Research and Education in Canada and Yi Du of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, points to enhanced cognitive reserve as a possible explanation.

As people grow older, they often experience a gradual decline in both sensory and mental abilities. These changes in how we perceive and process information are frequently linked to increased brain activity and stronger connections between different areas of the brain. This heightened activity, known as functional connectivity (the statistical relationship in activity across brain regions), is believed to act as a form of compensation. Essentially, the brain recruits extra resources to help older adults perform cognitive tasks more effectively.

Certain lifestyle habits, such as learning music, achieving higher levels of education, or speaking more than one language, can build what scientists call cognitive and brain reserve. This refers to the mental and neurological assets developed over time, which may delay or soften the effects of aging on the brain. According to Cognitive Reserve Theory, people who build up these reserves through life experience tend to perform better mentally as they age. However, researchers still debate how exactly these accumulated benefits from positive lifestyle choices affect the brain’s functioning in older adults.

. . .