Overview
- Monash University researchers tracked more than 10,800 Australians aged over 70 to examine how music habits relate to later dementia diagnoses.
- Participants who reported always listening to music had a 39% lower incidence of dementia compared with those who rarely or never listened.
- Frequently playing a musical instrument was associated with a 35% lower dementia risk, and doing both was linked to a 33% reduction.
- Regular listening was also tied to a 17% lower risk of cognitive impairment no dementia, with combined engagement linked to a 22% reduction.
- Analyses adjusted for factors such as age, sex, and education, with benefits most pronounced among people with more than 16 years of education.