Playing music helps elderly to stay sharp

if you want to stay sharp into old age, forget the brain-training puzzles and learn a musical instrument instead.

researchers found reaction times were faster among musicians – suggesting the skill could be used to combat some of the effects of ageing.

but a couple of violin lessons may not be enough, as any improvement in brain function is likely to require a long commitment to the instrument, the experts said. The musicians tested for the study had all spent at least seven years learning to play.

The canadian researchers tested reaction times by asking volunteers to listen for a burst of noise from a speaker, or feel a vibration from a small box in front of them.

Around half the group of 35 students were from a music school and had mastered at least one instrument – in most cases more.

The others could not play any instrument. The reaction time of the musicians was faster for visual, audio and combined audio-visual tests, which were carried out more than 500 times in total.

lead researcher simon landry, of the university of montreal, told the journal brain and cognition: ‘The more we know about the impact of music on really basic sensory processes, the more we can apply musical training to individuals who might have slower reaction times.

‘As people get older, for example, we know their reaction times get slower. so if we know that playing a musical instrument increases reaction times, then maybe playing an instrument will be helpful.

‘These results suggest for the first time that long-term musical training reduces simple non-musical auditory, tactile and multisensory reaction times.’

The research compared the reactions of 16 musicians and 19 non-musicians.

They were placed in a room with one hand on a computer mouse, and the index finger of the other on a box which vibrated intermit- tently. subjects were told to click the mouse when they heard a burst of white noise from a speaker in front of them, when the box vibrated, or when both happened.

Among the musicians there were eight pianists, three violinists, two percussionists, one double bassist, one harpist and one viola player.

All but one played at least one other instrument as well.

mr landry said: ‘The idea is to better understand how playing an instrument affects the senses in a way that is not related to music.’

separate research added to evidence linking a lack of exercise to brain degeneration in old age.

A study of 1,600 volunteers by mcmaster university in ontario, canada, found older adults with a sedentary lifestyle had a similar risk of getting dementia as those who were genetically predisposed.

Physical activity is believed to help brain function by increasing the amount of oxygen absorbed.