European scientists say piano lessons at the age of 60 can prevent dementia by strengthening brain tissue that deteriorates as memory problems develop.
Researchers from Hannover Medical School (Germany) and the University of Geneva (Switzerland) found benefits for people aged 60 and over after experiments in which participants played the piano for half an hour per day, and attended lessons for one hour per week.
Passion for music in old age has a number of advantages, but this is all only if these “students” seriously and fully devote themselves to these activities. For those in their 60s or 70s, learning to play helps prevent dementia from developing by preserving white matter, brain tissue that deteriorates when memory and concentration problems begin.
In the course of the study, scientists tried to find out if learning to play the piano helps the brain at a later age. They recruited 121 patients into two groups, men and women aged 60 to 70, who had never played an instrument before. Half of the study participants were “prescribed” to weekly one-hour piano lessons for 6 months, with instructions to practice them at home on their own for at least half an hour each day.
Patients in the second group attended weekly evenings dedicated to different styles of music, but were only asked to listen to music from a variety of musical genres, without trying to play, sing or clap their hands, and to participate in other people’s performances.
Brain scans of all these people before and after the experiment showed that the white matter density of the “pianists” practically did not degrade, indicating that there was no deterioration in brain performance, but in those who did not take such lessons, there was a significant decrease in the intensity of the brain. White matter, which increases the chances of developing dementia and later memory problems.
