Source note · R064
Musical instrument training program improves verbal memory and neural efficiency in novice older adults
First published online in 2020; journal issue dated 2021.
A keyboard-harmonica program reports selected verbal-memory improvements, with several design constraints.
- Setting
- Related music & arts
- Kind of evidence
- Intervention studies
- Review extent
- Selected sections reviewed
What was studied
A 16-week study using a pseudo-randomized method: 66 people recruited and 53 analyzed; the program included singing as well as instrumental activity.
What it contributes
Some verbal-recall outcomes improved while other measures did not.
Where the evidence stops
There was no active comparison matching the program’s social and learning demands. The study does not isolate instrumental playing, demonstrate broad cognitive improvement or test a community band.
About this review
This is a targeted review of selected sections. The record should not be read as an appraisal of the entire work.
Source note updated September 7, 2026. Read our approach to evidence.