Abstract

Prior studies have demonstrated musicianship enhancements of various aspects of auditory and cognitive processing in older adults, but musical training has not been examined as an intervention for mitigating age-related declines in these abilities. The current study investigates whether ten weeks of choir participation can improve aspects of auditory processing in older adults, particularly speech-in-noise (SIN) perception. Three groups of participants underwent pre- and post-testing: choir singing (n=50), music appreciation (n=13), and an age- and audiometry-matched control group (n=32). Linear mixed effects modelling in a multilevel regression analysis showed that choir participants demonstrated the most improvements across auditory measures. Choir participants’ gains in SIN perception were partially mediated by pitch discrimination, suggesting a possible mechanism for this perceptual improvement. These findings support the hypothesis that short-term choir participation is an effective intervention for mitigating age-related hearing losses.

Highlights

  • As the population ages, and the expectation of longevity increases, a growing concern in healthcare is the promotion of healthy aging – the maintenance of mental, social, and physical wellbeing as one ages, in order to retain independence and lead a high-quality life (Fillit et al, 2002; Kramer, Bherer, Colcombe, Dong, & Greenough, 2004; Peel, McClure, & Bartlett, 2005)

  • The current study The current study investigates the effect of short-term musical training and choir participation on older adults using various measures of auditory perception, including speech-innoise perception (SIN) and pitch discrimination; exploratory cognitive measures, including working memory (LSpan) and inhibitory control of attention (Flanker task); and neural responses to sound, as indexed by features of the frequency following response (FFR) to a repeated speech stimulus

  • In addition to the choir singing group, fifty-two control participants were recruited from two populations: seventeen music perception participants were recruited from 8-10 week music appreciation classes offered through the Royal Conservatory of Music (RCM) and the 50+ program at Ryerson University, and thirty-five do-nothing control participants were recruited through advertisements placed in the Toronto Star and hearing clinics in the greater Toronto area

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Summary

Introduction

The expectation of longevity increases, a growing concern in healthcare is the promotion of healthy aging – the maintenance of mental, social, and physical wellbeing as one ages, in order to retain independence and lead a high-quality life (Fillit et al, 2002; Kramer, Bherer, Colcombe, Dong, & Greenough, 2004; Peel, McClure, & Bartlett, 2005). Aging is associated with declines in cognitive functioning (e.g., decreased working memory and attentional control; for review, see Fabiani, 2012), and deteriorating sensory-perceptual processes (e.g., worsening vision and hearing; for review, see Fozard, 1990). These declines – in particular, hearing problems – can make it difficult for aging individuals to maintain personal relationships and engage socially, which have in turn been linked to feelings of isolation and depression (Arlinger, 2003; Djernes, 2006). There is a great demand for effective and accessible interventions that target and remediate auditory losses which are resistant to peripheral assistance – likely occurring further up the auditory processing pathway – in order to promote auditory health and mitigate associated age-related declines (Alain, Zendel, Hutka, & Bidelman, 2014; Anderson, Parbery-Clark, Yi, & Kraus, 2011; Bidelman, Villafuerte, Moreno, & Alain, 2014; Tremblay, Piskosz, & Souza, 2003)

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