Is musical engagement enough to keep the brain young?

Matziorinis, Anna Maria; Gaser, Christian; Koelsch, Stefan

doi:10.1007/s00429-022-02602-x

Cited by 5 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 79 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…As music can directly speak to both the emotional brain and to the intellect and has a strong social component its fundamental spiritual significance is comprehensible. Additionally, there is a remarkable transfer of positive effects for those engaging in musical training and listening to music ( Matziorinis et al, 2022 ).…”

Section: Dance Music and Emotion In Dementia: Movements Of Expression...mentioning

confidence: 99%

The embodied mind in motion: a neuroscientific and philosophical perspective on prevention and therapy of dementia

Dzwiza-Ohlsen,

Kempermann

2023

Front. Psychol.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The embodied mind in motion is a concept in which health and well-being, prevention and therapy, as well as lifestyle and habits meet. The mind changes profoundly in the course of dementias, affecting daily living and resulting in reduced quality of life. Interdisciplinary approaches are required for a holistic understanding of how the mind is affected by dementia. We here explore what such a holistic theory of dementia might look like and propose the idea of “embodied mind in motion”. The paradigm is biopsychosocial or biocultural, the theoretical anchor point is the lifeworld, and the guiding concept is “embodiment,” as body and mind are constantly in motion. Physical activity is, hence, central for the experience of health and well-being, beyond being “exercise” and “health behavior”. We discuss the embodied mind in motion referring to phenomenology, enactivism and (philosophical) anthropology. In our view, habits are embodied long-term memories and a philosophical equivalent to lifestyle. They unfold the meaningfulness of moving the body, complementing the objectifiable benefits of physical exercise. Empirical studies on “holistic activities” like hiking, yoga, music and dance illustrate improved integration into everyday life. Their meaningfulness enhances compliance and increases the preventive and even therapeutic potential. A crucial factor for this is the emotional dimension of lifestyle, exemplified by the virally popularized performance of “Swan Lake” by wheel-chair bound ex-ballerina Marta Cinta González Saldaña, suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. A number of epistemological and ontological consequences anchor “embodied movement” as a valuable principle for dementia research.

show abstract

Section: Dance Music and Emotion In Dementia: Movements Of Expression...mentioning

confidence: 99%

The embodied mind in motion: a neuroscientific and philosophical perspective on prevention and therapy of dementia

Dzwiza-Ohlsen,

Kempermann

2023

Front. Psychol.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…A recent randomised controlled trial (RCT) found that playing a musical instrument (the piano), can help preserve the integrity of the fornix in older adults, with a weak positive association with episodic memory (Jünemann et al, 2022 ; see also Burzynska et al, 2017 ). Some evidence also suggests that musical activities may support the preservation of brain volume in prefrontal and temporal regions (Chaddock‐Heyman et al, 2021 ; for review, see also Muiños & Ballesteros, 2021 ) and reduce overall signs of structural ageing at non‐professional level (Chaddock‐Heyman et al, 2021 ; Rogenmoser et al, 2018 ; however, see also Matziorinis et al, 2022 ). However, a systematic account on the influence of music on brain structure and its association with cognitive function in healthy ageing is currently missing (for review, see Sutcliffe et al, 2020 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Choir singing is associated with enhanced structural connectivity across the adult lifespan

Moisseinen,

Ahveninen,

Martínez‐Molina

et al. 2024

Human Brain Mapping

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The global ageing of populations calls for effective, ecologically valid methods to support brain health across adult life. Previous evidence suggests that music can promote white matter (WM) microstructure and grey matter (GM) volume while supporting auditory and cognitive functioning and emotional well‐being as well as counteracting age‐related cognitive decline. Adding a social component to music training, choir singing is a popular leisure activity among older adults, but a systematic account of its potential to support healthy brain structure, especially with regard to ageing, is currently missing. The present study used quantitative anisotropy (QA)‐based diffusion MRI connectometry and voxel‐based morphometry to explore the relationship of lifetime choir singing experience and brain structure at the whole‐brain level. Cross‐sectional multiple regression analyses were carried out in a large, balanced sample (N = 95; age range 21–88) of healthy adults with varying levels of choir singing experience across the whole age range and within subgroups defined by age (young, middle‐aged, and older adults). Independent of age, choir singing experience was associated with extensive increases in WM QA in commissural, association, and projection tracts across the brain. Corroborating previous work, these overlapped with language and limbic networks. Enhanced corpus callosum microstructure was associated with choir singing experience across all subgroups. In addition, choir singing experience was selectively associated with enhanced QA in the fornix in older participants. No associations between GM volume and choir singing were found. The present study offers the first systematic account of amateur‐level choir singing on brain structure. While no evidence for counteracting GM atrophy was found, the present evidence of enhanced structural connectivity coheres well with age‐typical structural changes. Corroborating previous behavioural studies, the present results suggest that regular choir singing holds great promise for supporting brain health across the adult life span.

show abstract

“…Environmental factors are among the easiest to modify (von Haumeder et al, 2019). More specifically, participation in cultural and artistic activities, including playing and listening to music, is often consider a resilience factor (Matziorinis et al, 2022). While reactions to a stressor depend on both pre-and post-traumatic resilience factors (Kalisch et al, 2017), most studies have explored the benefits of musical activity after the occurrence of a traumatic event as an intervention tool to reduce the intensity of PTSD, and not before as a preventive tool against the deleterious effects of potential exposure to a traumatic situation (Landis-Shack et al, 2017;Pant et al, 2022).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Musical experience prior to traumatic exposure as a resilience factor: a conceptual analysis

Fraile¹,

Gagnepain²,

Eustache³

et al. 2023

Front. Psychol.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Resilience mechanisms can be dynamically triggered throughout the lifecourse by resilience factors in order to prevent individuals from developing stress-related pathologies such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Some interventional studies have suggested that listening to music and musical practice after experiencing a traumatic event decrease the intensity of PTSD, but surprisingly, no study to our knowledge has explored musical experience as a potential resilience factor before the potential occurrence of a traumatic event. In the present conceptual analysis, we sought to summarize what is known about the concept of resilience and how musical experience could trigger two key mechanisms altered in PTSD: emotion regulation and cognitive control. Our hypothesis is that the stimulation of these two mechanisms by musical experience during the pre-traumatic period could help protect against the symptoms of emotional dysregulation and intrusions present in PTSD. We then developed a new framework to guide future research aimed at isolating and investigating the protective role of musical experience regarding the development of PTSD in response to trauma. The clinical application of this type of research could be to develop pre-trauma training that promotes emotional regulation and cognitive control, aimed at populations at risk of developing PTSD such as healthcare workers, police officers, and military staffs.

show abstract

Is musical engagement enough to keep the brain young?

Cited by 5 publications

References 79 publications

The embodied mind in motion: a neuroscientific and philosophical perspective on prevention and therapy of dementia

The embodied mind in motion: a neuroscientific and philosophical perspective on prevention and therapy of dementia

Choir singing is associated with enhanced structural connectivity across the adult lifespan

Musical experience prior to traumatic exposure as a resilience factor: a conceptual analysis

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About