Source note · R068
The Relation Between Instrumental Musical Activity and Cognitive Aging
Older adults with different musical histories show differences on selected cognitive measures.
- Setting
- Related music & arts
- Kind of evidence
- Survey & observational
- Review extent
- Selected sections reviewed
What was studied
A cross-sectional study of 70 older adults grouped by retrospectively reported instrumental activity.
What it contributes
Some nonverbal and executive measures favored participants with greater musical experience, while the pattern was not universal across outcomes.
Where the evidence stops
Retrospective activity and a one-time cognitive comparison cannot establish a slower rate of aging or determine what would happen after starting or returning to music.
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.