Music and the aging brain � Exploring the role of long-term Carnatic music training on cognition and gray matter volumes

Ghosh, A and Singh, S and Monisha, S and Jagtap, T and Issac, TG (2024) Music and the aging brain � Exploring the role of long-term Carnatic music training on cognition and gray matter volumes. In: Journal of Neurosciences in Rural Practice, 15 (2). pp. 327-333.

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Abstract

Objectives: Aging is a natural process and is often associated with an increased incidence of cognitive impairment. Physical exercise, diet, and leisuractivities (music, dance, and art) are some of the lifestyle factors that contribute to healthy aging. The present study aims to explore the differences icognitive functioning between aging individuals involved in musical activity throughout their lifetime and the ones who were not. Materials and Methods: Fifty-one healthy elderly individuals (50�80 years of age) residing in an urban locality were selected for the study from the Tata Longitudinal Study of Aging cohort. Participants were divided into two groups: Active musicians trained in Carnatic music for more than five years (n = 18) and age-matched non-musicians (n = 33). Addenbrooke cognitive examination-III, Hindi mental status examination, and trail-making test-B (TMT-B) were used to assess cognitive functioning. A Generalized Linear Regression Model was performed including covariates such as gender, age, and years of education. We also looked at the available brain magnetic resonance imaging data of a subset of our study population to inspect the volumetric differences between musicians and non-musicians. Results: Our results showed that musicians had significantly better visuospatial abilities as compared to non-musicians (P = 0.043). Musicians (130.89 ± 45.16 s) also took less time to complete the TMT-B task than non-musicians (148.73 ± 39.65 s), although it was not a statistically significant difference (P =0.150). In addition, brain imaging data suggested that musicians had increased gray matter volumes in the right precuneus, right post-central gyrus, right medial and superior frontal gyrus, right orbital gyrus, left middle temporal gyrus, left cuneus, left fusiform gyrus, and bilateral cingulate gyrus. Conclusion: Our findings are indicative of music being an important attribute in improving cognitive reserve and predicting cognitive resilience. Thfindings pave the way to explore the utility of non-pharmacological interventions, such as Music Therapy (especially Carnatic music in the Indian conteas a potential factor for improving cognitive reserve in elderly individuals. © 2024 Published by Scientific Scholar on behalf of Journal of Neurosciences in Rural Practic.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Publication:	Journal of Neurosciences in Rural Practice
Publisher:	Scientific Scholar LLC
Additional Information:	The copyright for this article belongs to Scientific Scholar LLC
Department/Centre:	Autonomous Societies / Centres > Centre for Brain Research
Date Deposited:	29 Jul 2024 05:10
Last Modified:	29 Jul 2024 05:10
URI:	http://eprints.iisc.ac.in/id/eprint/85195

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