Scientists found that practicing music can prevent aging in specific regions. The brain loses neuroplasticity as it ages, but musical interventions promote brain plasticity and cognitive reserve.
A new study has shown that practicing and listening to music can delay cognitive decline in seniors by producing more gray matter in the brain.
Over 100 retired people who had never practiced music before were enrolled in piano and music awareness training for six months. The results showed an increase in working memory performance by 6% and a total reduction in gray matter loss in the piano-playing group.
The scientists from the University of Geneva wanted to see how much music training could prevent the loss of working memory associated with age-related cognitive decline.
‘‘We wanted people whose brains did not yet show any traces of plasticity linked to musical learning. Indeed, even a brief learning experience in the course of one’s life can leave imprints on the brain, which would have biased our results’’
— Damien Marie, first author of the study
Scientists believe that musical interventions cannot rejuvenate the brain, but they can prevent aging in specific regions. The brain loses neuroplasticity as it ages, but musical interventions promote brain plasticity and cognitive reserve.
Practicing music can improve various functions of the brain, including memory, language, spatial reasoning, and attention. This is because playing an instrument requires the brain to process multiple sensory inputs simultaneously, leading to increased neural connectivity and plasticity.
Musical training can strengthen the cognitive processes involved in problem-solving, creativity, and emotional regulation.
Regular music practice can have lasting positive effects on brain health and function. Previous studies have shown that musical training can enhance language skills and improve memory and attention span, especially in children.
Learning to play an instrument also requires discipline, perseverance, and focus, which can transfer to other areas of life. In fact, many successful individuals in various fields, such as business and medicine, credit their musical training for their professional success. Therefore, it is evident that playing an instrument not only offers enjoyment and artistic expression but also provides significant benefits to brain development and overall well-being.
Repairing the Brain, $20 Hearing Aids, and Turning Parking Lots into Power Plants
byAndrew McGivern | Good News Podcast Host - Positive News and Inspiration
The Great News Podcast is brought to you by the Daily Quote, the podcast designed to kickstart your day in a positive way.
Today, we’re looking at how the empty space in our cities is being turned into a powerhouse of clean energy. Plus, we’ll explore breakthroughs in repairing the brain, a $20 medical device set to disrupt an entire industry, and why your kitchen pantry might hold the secret to stopping dangerous mosquitoes.
Our lead story today focuses on a global shift to turn ”stranded assets”, specifically, the massive amounts of asphalt used for parking lots, into solar farms.
Meanwhile, in France, the Senate passed a policy requiring similar canopies for large lots, which could generate energy equivalent to 10 nuclear reactors. In the U.S., California’s Senate Bill 49 is looking to provide tax incentives for these ”miniature power plants,” with estimates suggesting that covering just 400 square miles of parking lots could power 6.5 million homes.
If you like the Great News Podcast, you’ll love the Great News Letter, because the Great News Podcast is great, but the Great News Letter is greater. Link is in the show notes. Next, we have a double-header of breakthroughs in neurological repair.
In the world of affordable healthcare, a group called Founders Inc. has reinvented the hearing aid by studying the mechanics of the human ear. While a standard hearing aid can cost an astronomical $4,700,this new version is being brought to market for just $20, potentially making life-changing technology accessible to millions for the first time.
Finally, scientists at Yale have discovered that garlic acts as a powerful birth control for mosquitoes. A natural compound called diallyl disulfide blocks the mating and egg-laying process in species that spread diseases like Zika and yellow fever. Interestingly, it's not the smell that deters them, but a specific taste receptor in their tiny organs that triggers an avoidance behavior.
It's time for the speed round, where we squeeze in even more positivity:
