Music interventions in 132 healthy older adults enhance cerebellar grey matter and auditory working memory, despite general brain atrophy

Bibliographic Details
Title: Music interventions in 132 healthy older adults enhance cerebellar grey matter and auditory working memory, despite general brain atrophy
Authors: Damien Marie, Cécile A.H. Müller, Eckart Altenmüller, Dimitri Van De Ville, Kristin Jünemann, Daniel S. Scholz, Tillmann H.C. Krüger, Florian Worschech, Matthias Kliegel, Christopher Sinke, Clara E. James
Source: Neuroimage: Reports, Vol 3, Iss 2, Pp 100166- (2023)
Publisher Information: Elsevier, 2023.
Publication Year: 2023
Collection: LCC:Neurosciences. Biological psychiatry. Neuropsychiatry
Subject Terms: Brain plasticity, Working memory, Atrophy, Grey matter, Music, Aging, Neurosciences. Biological psychiatry. Neuropsychiatry, RC321-571
More Details: Normal aging is associated with brain atrophy and cognitive decline. Working memory, involved in cognitive functioning and daily living, is particularly affected. Music training gained momentum in research on brain plasticity and possible transfer effects of interventions on working memory, especially in the context of healthy aging. This longitudinal voxel-based morphometry study evaluated effects of 6-month music interventions on grey matter volume plasticity and auditory working memory performance in 132 healthy older adults. This study is part of a randomized controlled trial comparing two interventions: piano practice (experimental group) and musical culture (musical listening awareness, active control). We report significant grey matter volume increase at whole-brain level in the caudate nucleus, Rolandic operculum and inferior cerebellum when merging both groups, but no group differences. Cerebellar grey matter increase, training intensity metrics and sleep were positively associated with tonal working memory improvement. Digit Span Backward verbal working memory performance also increased. Using region of interest analyses, we showed a group difference in the right primary auditory cortex grey matter volume, decreasing in the musical group while staying stable in the piano group. In contrast, a significant 6-month whole-brain atrophy pattern consistent with longer-term investigations of the aging brain was revealed. We argue that education for seniors should become a major policy priority in the framework of healthy aging, to promote brain plasticity and cognitive reserve, through stimulating group interventions such as music-making and active listening.
Document Type: article
File Description: electronic resource
Language: English
ISSN: 2666-9560
Relation: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666956023000119; https://doaj.org/toc/2666-9560
DOI: 10.1016/j.ynirp.2023.100166
Access URL: https://doaj.org/article/f5c83748c3be48d8a4bad7b248dca05a
Accession Number: edsdoj.f5c83748c3be48d8a4bad7b248dca05a
Database: Directory of Open Access Journals
More Details
ISSN:26669560
DOI:10.1016/j.ynirp.2023.100166
Published in:Neuroimage: Reports
Language:English