Music may lower dementia risk by 39% in older adults, new study reveals

Music is often called the “universal language.” It heals, soothes, connects and cuts across every mood and stage of life. But a new study suggests your love of music may do more than lift your spirits—it may actually help protect your brain from dementia.

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Music and Memory

Researchers from Monash University examined whether music-related activities, specifically listening to music or playing a musical instrument, could lower the risk of dementia and cognitive impairment over time.

They followed more than 10,000 community-dwelling Australian adults aged 70 and older and found striking results. Older adults who frequently listened to music had a 39% lower risk of dementia and a 17% lower risk of cognitive impairment (without dementia) compared with those who listened only sometimes or never. Those who played an instrument had a 35% reduced risk of dementia. Meanwhile, adults who both played music and listened to it regularly showed a 33% reduction in dementia risk and 22% lower risk of cognitive impairment.

Frequent music listeners also performed better on tests of overall mental ability and episodic memory, a type of memory that helps you reexperience personal events, complete with specific details of time, place, and emotion. The protective effect of music was strongest among older adults with higher education levels (16+ years).

Thomas Holland, M.D., a physician-researcher at Rush University who wasn’t involved in the study, noted in an interview with Nifty 50+ that music can stimulate the brain in unique ways that help protect it as we age.

Why Does Dementia Affect Memory

Worldwide, an estimated 57 million people live with dementia, a decline in thinking abilities such as memory, reasoning, and problem-solving severe enough to interfere with daily life. Dementia occurs when brain cells and their connections break down, often due to abnormal protein buildup, reduced blood flow, strokes, infections, or chronic conditions like diabetes and hypertension. One region is especially vulnerable: the hippocampus, the brain’s central hub for forming and retrieving memories. This is why memory loss is a key and often the most recognizable problem in dementia. The hippocampus is metabolically active, constantly encoding and retrieving new information, even at rest. It also sits at the crossroads of major networks—sensory systems, emotional circuits, the prefrontal cortex (responsible for decision-making and personality), and regions involved in introspection and mind-wandering.

Because of its role and connections, disruptions in many areas of the brain can spill over and impair memory circuits. The hippocampus also naturally shrinks earlier than other regions with age, and dementia accelerates this process.

How Music Lights Up the Brain

Music is especially powerful for brain health because it lights up many different regions at once and changes how the brain processes information, Holland explained.

“Simply listening to music can improve cognitive flexibility [the brain’s ability to switch between tasks and ideas] by stimulating auditory, emotional, and memory-related regions,” he added.

One important area music activates is the hippocampus. Keeping this area active through music helps it stay flexible and resilient as you age—which means sharper memory and recall. In fact, some studies show that music can even lower oxidative stress in the hippocampus, protecting it from further wear and tear.

It also lights up the brain’s pleasure pathway and pathways to areas that process complex musical patterns and anticipate the next beat or melody. Music also fires signals to the amygdala, the region that processes emotions, helping explain why certain songs trigger vivid, emotionally charged memories. Because music unfolds moment by moment, it grabs your attention instantly. This “in-the-moment” quality forces hearing, emotion, memory, and movement regions to work together. When these areas fire repeatedly in coordinated patterns, they strengthen the brain’s wiring, building or reinforcing neural pathways over time.

You can see this vividly in the 2014 documentary Alive Inside, where seemingly unresponsive dementia patients suddenly light up, smile, or even dance when hearing beloved songs. Like other cognitively enriching activities, such as learning a new language or playing chess, music helps build cognitive reserve, the brain’s ability to stay resilient by developing stronger or more flexible neural networks. A robust cognitive reserve helps people better withstand age-related changes or pathology without showing symptoms.

Engaging in music making also supports brain efficiency. Adults who spent 10 or more years playing an instrument or singing with regular practice showed brain activity patterns that more closely resembled those of younger adults, an indication of more efficient neural networks.

Other Benefits of Music for Older Adults

Beyond brain protection, music provides wide-ranging health benefits for older adults.

Sleep is a common challenge in later life, and a recent meta-analysis in PLOS One found that slow-tempo, soothing music significantly improves sleep quality in older adults. Music helps quiet the stress response, enhances melatonin release, and shifts brain waves toward more calming frequencies. It also boosts neurotransmitters like serotonin and GABA, which help ease the body into deep, restorative sleep.

Another study found that attending chamber music performances lifted mood and energy, eased pain, and fostered a sense of connection and shared enjoyment. Older adults involved in music activities report fewer doctor visits, decreased medication use, and fewer health problems overall. Group-based musical activities also enhance belonging, friendship, and emotional well-being.

“Musical engagement is one of the most cognitively demanding and beneficial activities for the aging brain.” — Dr. Thomas Holland, M.D.

Benefits Go Beyond Happily Tapping to the Tune

Music is free, accessible, and seamlessly woven into our daily lives. It lifts our mood, sparks joy, and often transports us back in time. But beyond the feel-good vibes, music may also keep your brain sharp as you get older.

“Musical engagement is one of the most cognitively demanding and beneficial activities for the aging brain,” Holland said. He suggested some ways to let music tickle — and train — your brain:

Listen with intention: Try exploring new genres or paying closer attention to how a song is structured.
Learn an instrument: Especially a new one. It integrates attention, coordination, memory, hearing, and emotional control.
Join in: Sing with a community choir or play in a music group.
Go deeper: Try learning about music theory through books, apps, or online lessons.

It doesn’t have to be a full-on lesson. “Even brief, regular practice sessions or revisiting an instrument you once played can provide meaningful stimulation,” Holland noted.

So turn up your favorite song or dust off that old instrument, and let it fire up your heart and your brain, and maybe brighten someone else’s day in the process.