The effect of lifetime musical training on the deterioration of executive functions in the elderly - A longitudinal study

Many previous studies investigated what the effect of music has on cognition or executive functions (EF). Understanding this relation could prove to be beneficial for many, especially for aging populations or patients suffering from neurological conditions such as Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) or Major Neurocognitive Disorder (MND) by developing new treatment strategies. The existing cross-sectional literature largely points in the direction that music is positively associated with cognition and EF. This longitudinal study aimed to investigate the effect of having a history of music training and engaging in music activities on the deterioration of EF in healthy elderly people. Lifetime musical training and current activities were the hypothesized predictors; processing speed and verbal fluency were the outcome measures of EF. Age, sex, and education were included as possible confounders. With a sample of n=1185 participants, several multilevel models were estimated to observe...Show moreMany previous studies investigated what the effect of music has on cognition or executive functions (EF). Understanding this relation could prove to be beneficial for many, especially for aging populations or patients suffering from neurological conditions such as Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) or Major Neurocognitive Disorder (MND) by developing new treatment strategies. The existing cross-sectional literature largely points in the direction that music is positively associated with cognition and EF. This longitudinal study aimed to investigate the effect of having a history of music training and engaging in music activities on the deterioration of EF in healthy elderly people. Lifetime musical training and current activities were the hypothesized predictors; processing speed and verbal fluency were the outcome measures of EF. Age, sex, and education were included as possible confounders. With a sample of n=1185 participants, several multilevel models were estimated to observe change over a 3-year time span with two measurement points. A subsample of n=423 participants, consisting of participants that are musically active, have had previous training, and have a starting age and recency of music training was analysed subsequently. Results showed that no significant change over time was found in processing speed or verbal fluency that was related to music training and/ or current music activities when controlling for age, sex, and education. This was also the case for the subsample analyses i.e., no change over time was found. Possible explanations for this include attrition, a lack of specificity when inquiring about the extent of the music training that participants received, and a small decline in cognition to begin with. This lack of effects could imply that music simply does not influence the decline of EF in elderly people or that there is too much uncertainty in the current data.Show less

Leiden University Student Repository

Documents

In Collections

The effect of lifetime musical training on the deterioration of executive functions in the elderly - A longitudinal study