Landon Center on Aging, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas, USA.
Neuropsychology. 2011 May;25(3):378-86. doi: 10.1037/a0021895.
Intensive repetitive musical practice can lead to bilateral cortical reorganization. However, whether musical sensorimotor and cognitive abilities transfer to nonmusical cognitive abilities that are maintained throughout the life span is unclear. In an attempt to identify modifiable lifestyle factors that may potentially enhance successful aging, we evaluated the association between musical instrumental participation and cognitive aging.
Seventy older healthy adults (ages 60-83) varying in musical activity completed a comprehensive neuropsychological battery. The groups (nonmusicians, low and high activity musicians) were matched on age, education, history of physical exercise, while musicians were matched on age of instrumental acquisition and formal years of musical training. Musicians were classified in the low (1-9 years) or high (>10 years) activity group based on years of musical experience throughout their life span.
The results of this preliminary study revealed that participants with at least 10 years of musical experience (high activity musicians) had better performance in nonverbal memory (η2 = .106), naming (η2 = .103), and executive processes (η2 = .131) in advanced age relative to nonmusicians. Several regression analyses evaluated how years of musical activity, age of acquisition, type of musical training, and other variables predicted cognitive performance.
These correlational results suggest a strong predictive effect of high musical activity throughout the life span on preserved cognitive functioning in advanced age. A discussion of how musical participation may enhance cognitive aging is provided along with other alternative explanations.
密集重复的音乐练习会导致双侧皮质重组。然而，音乐运动和认知能力是否会转移到非音乐认知能力，而这些能力在整个生命周期中都能保持，目前还不清楚。为了确定可能增强成功老龄化的可改变生活方式因素，我们评估了音乐乐器参与和认知老化之间的关系。
70 名年龄在 60-83 岁之间、音乐活动各异的健康老年人（年龄、教育、体育锻炼史）完成了一项全面的神经心理学测试。根据年龄、教育、乐器获取年龄和正规音乐训练年限，将非音乐家和低、高活动音乐家组进行匹配。根据一生的音乐经验年限，将音乐家分为低（1-9 年）或高（>10 年）活动组。
这项初步研究的结果表明，与非音乐家相比，至少有 10 年音乐经验（高活动音乐家）的参与者在非言语记忆（η2=0.106）、命名（η2=0.103）和执行过程（η2=0.131）方面的表现更好。几项回归分析评估了音乐活动年限、获取年龄、音乐训练类型和其他变量如何预测认知表现。
这些相关结果表明，在整个生命周期中，高音乐活动对高龄认知功能的保持有很强的预测作用。本文还讨论了音乐参与如何增强认知老化，以及其他替代解释。
