In our last article, we talked about the ways in which singing can help improve cognitive function in older adults with dementia. But what about the healthy? Does singing act as a preventative “medicine” for the healthy aging brain?
This is part two of this article. Please refer back to the previously published article if you’d like to know more about the benefits for older adults with neurodegenerative diseases.
In this study, scientists investigated the neural and cognitive effects of a choral singing intervention in a healthy aging adult population. They examined episodic memory and related brain activity changes. The study was created with a control period: 11 months with no intervention, and then with an intervention period: 11 months with choral singing. Within this study, the choral intervention happened weekly, with breaks for summer and public holidays, and included 2-3 public performances and social events. All materials were provided to the participants, and the entire choir was studied.
They specifically studied healthy adults aged 65-75 with normal vision, a good level of education, a Mini-Mental State Examination score greater than 26, good memory (approximately within the age-appropriate mean on the Wechsler Memory Scale), and no depression. They used multiple specific assessments in order to determine the ways in which their cognitive function was changing. Specifically, the Wechsler Memory Scale (here’s the Wikipedia article on what that is!) and fMRIs were also taken to discover the physical changes in the brain.
The changes that the scientists had found were fascinating. Overall, there were 4 main changes: the efficiency in which your brain functions, increased connectivity in the areas where memory is the main focus, reversing brain aging, and allowing for greater resilience against cognitive age decline.
Starting off with brain activation, the researchers saw decreases in brain activity in certain areas (like the motor cortex and posterior cingulate) after the intervention. This might seem as though something negative happened, but in reality, this means that the participants’ brains became more efficient. They didn’t have to work as hard to perform the memory tasks; the same way in which training for a marathon will make running easier as you increase fitness, your brain increases its efficiency.
Next, there was a clear strengthening in connectivity between the Right Prefrontal Cortex, the Fusiform Cortex, and the Hippocampus. This means that the singing helped build a strong ‘bridge’ between the part of the brain that focuses attention (Prefrontal Cortex), the part that recognizes faces (Fusiform), and the part that stores memories (Hippocampus). This suggests that choral singing helps the brain integrate different types of information more effectively.
The results also showed a reduction in “frontal compensation” (PASA) and more selective recruitment of brain regions (CRUNCH). As brains age, they often start overusing the front of the brain to help with the struggling areas of the back of the brain, something that naturally occurs with aging. The singing seemed to help reduce that and focus on the new neural pathways that had formed.
Finally, the study found that choral singing contributes to “cognitive reserve”. Essentially, with more intervention, the singing helped the brain stay resilient against the natural decline of aging or dementia. We know that this had actually helped because all of these results were directly correlated with attendance; those who hadn’t shown up regularly were not getting the same results!
The takeaway is clear: choir singing is much more than a hobby. This study proves that by picking up a sheet of music today, we are effectively “future-proofing” our brains for tomorrow. So, if you’ve been looking for a reason to join a local choir, consider this your medical prescription!
