(Credits: Far Out / Dushawn Jovic / Spotify)
Wed 26 November 2025 12:00, UK
The benefits of music are indisputable, but new research has concluded that it can even keep dementia at bay among elderly folk, such that stories of older adults losing their memories but still being able to recall the lyrics to songs that moved them deeply in their youth are surprisingly common.
Many of us have witnessed a similar occurrence with ageing family members or loved ones, be it through music or other forms of art, where experiences that engage our senses on a profound level take root deep within our hearts, minds and souls, and these remain tucked away for years, only to re-emerge when we need them most.
Keeping the mind active and regularly engaged with the memories accumulated over a lifetime is widely considered one of the most effective ways to help prevent cognitive decline, and there’s even scientific proof of this. A study by Monash University in Australia now suggests that music can lighten the burden of this process, as the innate joy and comfort from it can also help retain functionality, which is a major win for those accustomed to soundtracking their lives; turns out songs have the power to preserve life and, to some extent, the hope for it.
Published in October 2025, the research was conducted by honours student Emma Jaffa and Professor Joanne Ryan, who monitored more than 10,800 adults over the age of 70, drawing a stark parallel between listening to music regularly and a 39% reduction in the risk of dementia. More specifically, those who formed the habit of getting through each day in conjunction with their favourite tunes also produced “better global cognition and memory scores”.
The study also found significant benefits attached to playing an instrument, and although supplementing a love for music with the practice of playing did illustrate a 35% lower risk of dementia, there was no substantial evidence that it positively impacts cognitive test scores.
Sure enough, those who combined listening to music and playing it demonstrated the most promising results, as doing both was linked to a 33% reduced risk of dementia and a 22% decline in cognitive impairment that isn’t related to dementia.
It is worth noting that those who were actively learning as part of the education system for 16 years or more benefited from the above habits more than people who weren’t in school and college for that many years, while additionally showing that these patterns seem to have no bearing on how the subjects perceive themselves or their overall cognitive health.
Of course, these findings aren’t definitive since they are essentially conclusions drawn from positioning a specific set of practices alongside a timeline of mental well-being; however, simultaneously, music does generate positive results regardless of its potential influence on dementia, so there’s a strong case to be made in favour of encouraging elderly people to listen to their favourite songs as much as possible.
Music makes life worth living, so it’s no surprise that it might even help extend our time on this planet. We often tether our memories to the songs we love, and there’s something quite beautiful and poetic about the way the moments we cherish most can live on within the art we value deeply, and these moments keep the art alive even in crisis.
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