7/4/2026
I came across an interesting study today:
"What Is the Association Between Music-Related Leisure Activities and Dementia Risk? A Cohort Study"(2025)
The researchers followed 10,893 Australians aged 70 or older who did not have dementia at the start of the study. They examined three types of music-related activities:
Listening to music
Playing a musical instrument
Doing both
What they found
Compared with people who listened to music rarely or never, those who reported always listening to music had:
39% lower risk of dementia
17% lower risk of cognitive impairment without dementia (CIND)
People who often played a musical instrument had about a 35% lower risk of dementia. Those who both listened and played also showed lower risks.
Frequent music listeners also maintained better memory and overall cognitive function over time.
The study concluded:
"These results highlight music as a promising and accessible strategy to help reduce cognitive impairment and delay the onset of dementia in later life."
An important caution
This was an observational study, meaning it found an association, not proof of cause and effect. We still don't know whether music itself reduces dementia risk, or whether people with healthier brains are simply more likely to engage in music throughout life.
Where music might help
Although the exact mechanism remains uncertain, several explanations are biologically plausible.
Listening to—and especially performing—music engages multiple brain systems at the same time, including hearing, memory, attention, emotion, movement, and fine motor coordination. This widespread activation may help build what neuroscientists call cognitive reserve: the brain's ability to compensate for age-related changes.
Music is also associated with reduced stress, improved mood, increased body movement, and the stimulation of autobiographical memories—all factors linked to healthier brain aging.
My takeaway
Over the years, I have written about the benefits of learning foreign languages, reading, and cultivating intellectual humility through lifelong learning. These activities share something important with music: they all keep the brain actively engaged.
Increasingly, research suggests that no single activity prevents dementia on its own. Rather, healthy brain aging appears to result from a combination of mentally stimulating, physically active, and socially engaging habits. Music fits naturally into that broader picture.
One of its greatest advantages is this. Almost anyone can begin listening to music today, regardless of age. It is enjoyable, inexpensive, and carries virtually no downside.
Finally, our brains, much like our bodies, thrive when they continue to be challenged. Whether through music, reading, learning a new language, or meaningful conversation, keeping the mind engaged may be one of the best investment we can make for the years ahead.
