A literature review on the beneficial effects of music on aging auditory cortex and memory

Abstract

AbstractBackgroundRecent studies examining the impact of music on long‐ and short‐term memory, as well as cognitive function, have emerged with contradictory findings. This study investigates the positive impact of music on memory and the auditory cortex in people of all ages.MethodIn the PubMed database, we searched for studies that have examined the impact of music on memory and auditory function. From January 2011 to June 2021, we searched for studies on the adult population that were “clinical trials, case control cohort and cross‐sectional studies, systematic reviews and meta analyses” in English. In our search, we used a combination of the keywords “Music, Aging, Memory, Auditory Cortex.” Four reviewers independently extracted and assessed the studies based on predetermined criteria. To eliminate bias, the results were double‐checked by six people (fellows, researchers, etc.).ResultWe chose eight studies from a total of 108. Two studies linked music exposure to improved executive function in the aging brain, four studies examined the correlation between music exposure and improved auditory memory, one study compared the aging brains of musicians and non‐musicians, and two studies pointed at music in dementia and Alzheimer’s patients. The total number of participants in the study was 409, with an average age of 54 years and a range of 17 to 91 years. The duration of exposure to music varies between less than five and eleven years, with an average of eight and a half years. The primary finding is that music has a positive influence on aging brains' auditory cortex, memory, and executive skills. The impact of music on specific parts of the aging brain is a secondary outcome.ConclusionMusic has a positive influence on the auditory cortex, memory, and several brain executive functions, according to our findings. Adults should participate in music‐related activities to promote a healthy auditory cortex and memory aging. The absence of prior research on this topic was one of the study’s limitations. More research is needed to better understand the impact of music on the aging brain.