Piano Playing: One Of The Keys To Brain Health
Playing the piano may be more than an enjoyable hobby. According to one recent study, it could also boost mood and brain function. Researchers from the University of Bath in the United Kingdom divided 31 adults into three groups: People with no prior musical experience or training were instructed to complete weekly one-hour piano lessons. A second group listened to the same piano music the first group was being taught, while a third group served as a control.
The researchers measured the participants’ ability to process sights and sounds, facial expression recognition, depression, anxiety, stress, mood, and other factors both before and after the study. After 11 weeks, they found that people who took the piano lessons had improved audio-visual abilities, as well as lower levels of depression, anxiety, and stress.
“The findings from our study suggest that [taking piano lessons] has a significant, positive impact on how the brain processes audio-visual information, even in adulthood when brain plasticity is reduced,” say the authors. The study was published in Scientific Reports.
Source
nature.com/articles/s41598-022-23340-4
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